Blue Swede gears up for New Year Cup
Kranji barrier trials
BLUE SWEDE, an awesome third in the Dester Singapore Gold Cup last month, signalled his chances in the new season's first feature - the New Year Cup on Jan 1 - with a smart trial win at Kranji yesterday morning.
The Shane Baertschiger-trained seven-time winner came from last after a slow start to sprout wings in the final 200m to win as he pleased.
Although it was against lower-grade horses in the second of four trials, it was a good blow-out. The manner he quickened when asked by jockey John Powell was impressive.
Baertschiger, who had another good season with 52 winners and finished seventh behind Alwin Tan in the trainers' premiership table, was pleased as punch with his charge.
"His trial was good, only against Class 4 horses but it was only 1,000m. JP's happy with him," said the lanky Australian.
Baertschiger added that Blue Swede will head for the New Year Cup, a $200,000 Group 3 feature over 1,900m on the Polytrack.
The six-year-old New Zealand-bred was thrown into the deep-end last start in the Gold Cup and ran a massive third to Bahana over 2,200m.
ZEUS WARRIOR, who finished second to Blue Swede in the trial, bears watching.
A former Malaysian galloper now with trainer Theo Kieser, Zeus Warrior managed a good run. He was closing in nicely.
The four-year-old Australian-bred has raced three times up north for a win and a second.
The Powell-Baertschiger combination also took the first trial with FAALTLESS, who beat stablemate Solaris Spectrum rather easily and clocked the fastest time of the morning.
Faaltless was a bit fat but will take great benefit from the trial.
Yesterday's trial results
TRIAL 1 (PRACTICE)
1 Faaltless (J Powell)
2 Solaris Spectrum (M Kellady)
3 Elite Takes All (S Shafrizal)
4 Sister In Law
5 Run It Twice
6 Davinci (M Zaki)
7 Silent Arrow (E Aslam)
8 Justice First
Margins and time: 1¼, ¾, shd, 1, 1¼, ½, ½ (1min 01.87sec)
TRIAL 2 (PRACTICE)
1 Blue Swede (Powell)
2 Zeus Warrior
3 Start Me Up (WS Chan)
4 Kratos (CC Wong)
5 Divergent
6 Gold Crown
7 Ollie Eagle
8 Guilty Pleasures (Kellady)
Margins and time: 1½, ½, ¾, hd, ¾, ns (1:02.01)
TRIAL 3 (PRACTICE)
1 Double Cash (Aslam)
2 Preditor (Powell)
3 Typhon (Wong)
4 Fast Jet (CK Ng)
5 Tassajara (Kellady)
6 Golden Mile
7 Mr Connery
8 Ramzes (I Saifudin)
Margins and time: Nk, ½, 2¼, hd, ½, ½, 14¼ (1:04.62)
TRIAL 4 (PRACTICE)
1 Siam Gemstone (Kellady)
2 Rainbow Warrior (Aslam)
3 Mr No Problem (Chan)
4 Magic Paint (Saifudin)
5 Nova Power
6 Tarzan
7 Hephaestus (Wong)
8 Real Goodman (Ng)
Margins and time: ½, 1, ½, shd, 4½, 2, 3 (1:04.68)
Paralysed jockey Tylicki leaves hospital
German jockey Freddy Tylicki, paralysed in a horrific four horse pile-up almost two months ago in his England base, left hospital on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old, who had two Group 1 wins in a breakthrough season in 2016, tweeted it was a red-letter day for him.
"I've been waiting on this day for a long time and it's finally come #nextchapter #keepfighting," tweeted Tylicki, who will now undergo rehabilitation at a spinal unit in London.
Tylicki also thanked his family and the racing community, who spurred on by racing journalist Matt Chapman raised over £330,000 (S$590,000) to help him.
Tylicki, son of a three-time German champion jockey, admitted in mid-November he was struggling to come to terms with the fact he was paralysed from the waist down. - AFP
Tomorrow's simulcast races cancelled
The Singapore Turf Club has cancelled the simulcast races from Australia, Perth, South Africa and Europe scheduled for tomorrow.
This applies to both day and evening races.
This is due to insufficient races available on the day.
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