Preditor ready to take on the big guns on Sunday
Stewards' Cup trackwork
Based on ratings and proven Group-performing form, the winner of Sunday's $300,000 Group 2 Stewards' Cup should come from the top half of the eight-horse field, namely Debt Collector, Lim's Cruiser, Infantry and Alibi.
Debt Collector (110 points) is the reigning Horse of the Year, Lim's Cruiser (101) has won three Group races in his last three starts and Infantry (98) has a Group 2 and a Group 3 win to his name.
Although Alibi (94) has yet to win a black-type race, his laststart second to Lim's Cruiser in the Group 1 Lion City Cup stands him in good stead.
While all four horses are in top form and should provide an interesting perspective to Sunday's 1,400m Stewards' Cup, spare a thought for one of the best underdogs in this first leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, PREDITOR.
The Shane Baertschiger-trained horse may not have contested a Group race at Kranji before, but he has been burning up the track and, with some luck, can cause a major upset, just like Forever Young did in the recent Group 1 Singapore Guineas.
After all, there is no such thing as a certainty in horse racing.
Last Thursday, Preditor showed he can be counted on to give a top show when he won his trial in fabulous fashion, beating the much-vaunted Stewards' Cup's Magnificent Four, although the quartet were not out to break any records.
Still, it was a good victory, as Preditor simply cruised ahead at the top of the straight and strode out fluidly to the post in below one minute for the 1,000m trial.
Yesterday morning, Preditor raised another signal of his winning intention when he galloped beautifully over 600m on the Polytrack in 37.3sec with jockey John Powell astride.
He had last-start runaway winner CAORUNN (Matthew Kellady) for company.
Although he looks outclassed on ratings, Preditor does not lose out on the form compartment. Given the right run, the two-time Kranji winner can show a trick or two to overshadow his more illustrious rivals.
Baertshiger has said that he was not looking too much on Preditor's trial win, but "you never know".
"You have to be in it to win it, and we'll just have to see how he goes," he said, adding that the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby over 2,000m in July is Preditor's main target (see other story).
Four other Stewards' Cup contenders also showed up for their final gallops yesterday morning.
DEBT COLLECTOR warmed up on the in-field trotting ring before turning to the right-handed Track 6 for a leisurely 600m spin in 37.3sec with jockey Michael Rodd astride.
He was accompanied by SUPER BUFFALO (Race 6 tomorrow).
INFANTRY, who had Manoel Nunes aboard, was also not taxed when clocking 38.1 on the same Track 6.
OXBOW SUN cantered one round on the Polytrack before reeling off 600m in 40.3 with apprentice CC Wong astride
MAGNUM registered just a tick over even time.
Withdrawals
NON-ACCEPTORS FOR TOMORROW'S KRANJI MEETING
RACE 3: Southern Chief.
RACE 5: Ausone.
RACE 6: Yu Long Emperor.
RACE 7: Mr Fatkid.
RACE 8: Winning Express.
NON-ACCEPTORS FOR SUNDAY'S KRANJI MEETING
RACE 1: Ocean Master, Red General And Turquoise Son.
RACE 2: Houseboat Harry.
RACE 7: Wijaya and Aussie Eagle.
RACE 9: Super Hero.
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