In-form Charger looks up to the challenge
O'Hara's youngster to cross swords with Bringer Of War
There would have been some "long faces" in the crowd when CHARGER dumped the race favourite Bringer Of War to win on April 14.
After all, Bringer Of War was the raging $8 hotshot and, while Charger had some support, the majority in the grandstand were cheering for the short-priced runner.
Well, in a way, Charger brought the favourite back down to earth, winning with plenty of authority.
Come Sunday, they will again clash in the big Two-Year-Old race - the Singapore Silver Horseshoe - and they could very well finish one-two.
While Bringer Of War was the star performer on the training track on Tuesday morning, clocking 35.6sec for the 600m, it was Charger's turn yesterday morning and the son of Dick Turpin wasted no time putting together a gallop which was brimming with potential.
Taking off from the 600m, Charger ran the distance in a swift 35.7sec which would have warmed the heart of his trainer John O'Hara and his owners from Toast Trust Stable.
Back to the $90,000 feature for precocious youngsters and, like it was in the Kranji Nursery Stakes a fortnight ago, Charger will carry 57kg while Bringer Of War gets that "filly" allowance and will tote just 53.5kg.
Given that both runners haven't put a hoof wrong in the build-up to the big sprint over 1,000m, the safe and logical way to go would be to "couple" them for a wager on the quinella or "forecast" tote.
That done and, if you still watch the races the time-honoured way, keep those glasses focused on the gold cap of the No. 1 runner and the blue cap of the No. 9.
Chances are, by the time the straight is reached, they could be involved in a two-horse affair.
Incidentally, the 1,000m Singapore Silver Horseshoe race has been slotted in as the fifth event on Sunday's 11-race programme.
A day later, on Monday, save something for a flutter on LINCOLN ROAD who is down to contest Race 7 - the very-competitive Kranji Stakes A sprint over the 1,100m.
Prepared by Shane Baertschiger for Lincoln Farms Stable, Lincoln Road had John Powell on the reins when clocking 37.3sec for his 600m hit-out yesterday.
The five-year-old by Swiss Ace finished a smack-up second to Good News in an OB 97 race on April 7.
A five-time winner from 13 starts, his last victory was almost a year ago and a return to the winners' enclosure looks long overdue.
KRANJI TRACKWORK
GALLOPS BY HORSES RUNNING 0N SUNDAY
RACE 1: Danger Zone (S Sam) canter/38.1. Space Oddity (V Duric) canter/38.2. Lucky Boy (I Azhar) 37.2.
RACE 3: Apollo * 45/37.7. Golden Thunder * 35.3. Galaxy Express (Chavez) canter/38.2. Moon River (Zaki) 36.5.
RACE 4: Mr Jackson (Boss) canter/38.9. Peer Gynt (Wong) 41.1. Happy Saga (Rodd) 38.3. Mr Connery (Powell) canter/38.9. Sun Thunder canter/40.7.
RACE 5: Charger * 35.7.
RACE 6: King Cross 42.8. Golden Jade 36.6.
RACE 8: Helen canter/38.8. Joy And Happy (Woodworth) canter/39.5. Eden Garden 44.8.
RACE 9: Dragon Spirit (Beasley) 37.6. Ivanhoe * (Shafiq) 37.3. Red Ant 36.1.
RACE 10: Sun Mirage (CC Wong) canter/40.8. Scrat 38.5. Bigdinero 37.3. Sun Empire (Azhar) 35.7. Darci's Boy canter/38.3.
RACE 11: Golden Kingdom * (Rodd) 38.8. Host The Nation * (Woodworth) 35.6. Redmayne (Boss) canter/38.8. Million Round (Saifudin) canter/39.3. Muscular Dragon (Beasley) 42.2. Miss Blanchett canter/39.4.
GALLOPS BY HORSES RUNNING 0N MONDAY
RACE 1: Walking Thunder * 46.3. Majulah 34.8. Immortal Legacy (J Powell) 38.4. Honor 36.4. Silent Prince (H Syafiq) 37.6.
RACE 2: Danzeb 39.5. Elite Warrior * (R Shafiq) 35.6. Scorpio (WS Chan) 38.6. Cai Poh Wang (M Rodd) 35.2. Gin Go Gin * (O Chavez) 38.3. Saint Lincoln (Powell) 37.6.
RACE 3: Shoot Up High * (A Munro) 35.2. Ancient Warrior * (R Shafiq) 36.4. Solitaire * 37.3. Kevin Eleven pace work/40.8.
RACE 4: Any Rumour (I Azhar) 36.2. Aspen * (Shafiq) 36.8. Land Below D Wind * (H Syafiq) 38.4. Powerful As Wind * 35.2. Eaglesham (Duric) 40.3.
RACE 5: Warpath * (Kellady) 39.8. Decreto * (Azhar) 39.3. Delfyne 41.3. Enthuse 35.2.
RACE 6: Nova Star 38.6. Clermont Club 37.4. Simpang/pace work. Urban Legend (Zuriman) canter/38.3.
RACE 7: Lincoln Road * (Rodd) 37.3.
RACE 8: Montaigne * (Powell) 38.3. Ollie Eagle (K A'Isisuhairi) pace work.
RACE 9: Kate's Keeper 38.5. (Tuesday: Storm Trooper (Shafiq) canter/36.9.).
RACE 10: Show Far Show Good (Shafiq) 39.3. Heracles * 38.6. Amazing Man * (Duric) 39.5. Royal Guard * (Kellady) 37.6. Get Going gallop/40.8.
RACE 11: Awesome * 39.6. Hero I Am (Kellady) 40.2. Big Man * (Kellady) 38.3.
PENANG TRACKWORK
GALLOPS BY HORSES RUNNING 0N SUNDAY
Enrich Stakes A - 1,300M: Slow work: Windchaser.
Class 4 - 1,300M: Equally Optimistic *** 37.6.
Class 5 - 1,400M: Slow work: Alfraaj
Class 5 - 1,400M: Slow work: The Professional and High Peak.
Class 5 - 1,700M: Slow work: Coconut
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now