Poon gives Preditor class ride
Win puts Baertschiger's charge on Gold Cup route
When the best horse in the race was given the perfect ride by a rising star in the saddle, there could be only one outcome - an easy win.
Well, my best bet PREDITOR did exactly that and full credit must go to sensational Hong Kong apprentice Matthew Poon for his confident ride on the $10 favourite in the main race at Kranji last night.
Poon, a South Australia-trained rider who is here for two weeks before the Hong Kong season starts on Sept 3, jumped Preditor out swiftly but last-start winner Mighty Kenny took up the lead.
Mighty Kenny led into the backstraight by two lengths from Preditor who was kept well in hand by Poon and covered by Twickenham. Then came Good News, Robin Hood, Order Of The Sun and Excellency, who missed the start.
The order was the same at the halfway mark and ditto turning for home. Mighty Kenny straightened up a bit wide, presenting Preditor with a saloon passage on the inside.
Poon capitalised on the gift run and steered Preditor to hit the front 250m out and then staved off the fast-finishing Robin Hood by three-quarter lengths in the $100,000 Open Benchmark 89 event over the Polytrack 1,600m.
It was Poon's fourth winner in just three days of riding at Kranji.
Preditor, who fared quite well although unplaced in all three legs of the recent Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, has boosted his rating for a crack at the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup in November.
Trainer Shane Baertschiger said he would give his charge another run before deciding whether to proceed with the Gold Cup quest.
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