Oscar-winning show by third-placed Mr Hanks
All looks well for James Peters' exciting youngster
It was just a five-horse trial and he beat two home. Not much to crow about, you would say.
But it was the manner in which MR HANKS went through his paces on Tuesday morning which made him the headline.
Sure, when the trial sheets were released, Mr Hanks leapt from the page and we expected another rah-rah show from the two-year-old.
Well, it wasn't a runaway, catch-me-if-you-can sort of exhibition - like the one we witnessed earlier this month when he gobbled up then spat out the bones of his rivals so contemptuously in the Inglis Ready2Race Stakes.
But, and sure as ever, it was a performance par excellence.
Mr Hanks did just what he needed to do. No fuss, no bother. Just an honest piece of work.
Of course, the report on the trial would not be complete without mention of the winner, TALES OF SUMMER. Ridden by apprentice Nuh Komari, the five-year-old chestnut went like a bolter would do, tearing away like a straying husband trying to outrun a shotgun.
Well, as the "tale" goes, the Cliff Brown-trained runner won by a massive eight-and-a-half lengths with a shorthead to Mr Hanks, who finished third, beaten in the run home by Major Tom.
But, as mentioned, the story was of Mr Hanks.
Right from the go, he had followed Tales Of Summer everywhere and he was just three parts of a length in arrears when they had completed half the trip.
But when the young apprentice went hell for leather and broke away from the pack, Vlad Duric on Mr Hanks was content to let them go.
We know the rest. Tales Of Summer streaked away to win in 60.83sec, leaving Mr Hanks and Major Tom in a race of their own.
Major Tom, urged on by another apprentice, N Hanafi, went on to steal second spot on the line - which, I reckon, wouldn't have caused Duric any sleepless nights.
After all, it is worth remembering that Mr Hanks went into the big two-year-old race on June 11 on the back of a similar sort of trial where he finished fourth to Mokastar whom he went on to beat so soundly when it really mattered.
So, hold nothing against Mr Hanks for finishing third. The flash and fire will come when he next goes to the races, which we would imagine is the next leg of the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe Series on July 7.
His namesake is credited with saying "life is like a box of chocolates...". The difference is, with this Mr Hanks we, sure as ever, know what we're going to get.
Tuesday's Kranji barrier trial results
TRIAL 1
1 Grand Choice (I Saifudin)
2 First Light (V Duric)
3 Howl (D Beasley)
4 Evil Speedo
Margins and time: 2¾, 5¼, ½ (1min 01.71sec)
TRIAL 2
1 Ground Control (S Shafrizal)
2 Lim's Regard (O Chavez)
3 Silver Win Fortune (Saifudin)
4 Bao Shan Magic (Duric)
5 Fiery Shinzo (N Juglall)
6 D'Great Star (Beasley)
7 Letitgo (G Boss)
Margins and time: 1¾, nk, ½, 1¼, shd, 1 (1:01.15)
TRIAL 3
1 Distinctive Darci
2 Winning Tango (Chavez)
3 Italian Job (Shafrizal)
4 Macarthur (Duric)
5 D'Buffalo Man (Juglall)
6 Reddot Rising (Boss)
Margins and time: ½, 6¾, 1¼, 5¼, ns (59.67sec)
TRIAL 4
1 Tales Of Summer (K Nuh)
2 Major Tom
3 Mr Hanks (Duric)
4 Taichi Belt (Beasley)
5 Leon (Boss)
Margins and time: 8½, shd, ½, 1 (1:00.83)
TRIAL 5
1 Raheeb (Chavez)
2 Enhancement (Duric)
3 Mr Mosa (D David)
4 Asia (Boss)
5 Gold Reward (Juglall)
Margins and time: 2¼, 4½, ½, 20¾ (1:00.23)
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