Solid workout says Preditor should pass 2,200m test

He dropped out of his engagement last week, skipping the $125,000 Super Easy 2012 Stakes and his fans would have let out a collective sigh.

But they'll be happy to know that there's nothing amiss with PREDITOR and we're saying that on the strength of his workout at Kranji yesterday morning.

Taken out by John Powell, the four-year-old entire was all business in that gallop, running the 600m in 37.7sec.

Quite definitely, Preditor looks to be on top of his game and trainer Shane Baertschiger will find it tough turning him out looking any fitter.

While only four, the New Zealand-bred is a seasoned campaigner having picked up two wins and a second before being flown out to Singapre to continue his racing career.

Once here, he quickly began filling the coffers, picking up a couple of fat cheques for his two wins and three more for lighting up the board.

Last time out, in an 1,800m race on the Long Course some three weeks ago, Preditor earned the applause when he beat Keep Spinning and Special Force in a three-way photo.

Therein lies a question. With his wins in Singapore being over the 1,400m (Jan 1) and 1,800m, how will he fare over the very taxing 2,200m in Race 9 on Sunday?

I reckon, he should do admirably. After all, while racing as PREDATOR in New Zealand, he ran seventh in the last year's New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie Racecourse. At the finish, he was less that three lengths behind the winner.

Also on Sunday, watch out for another talent from Baertschiger's yard. He's MONTAIGNE. Yet to win in three starts, his turn looks to be coming up real soon.

Like stablemate Preditor, he too impressed clockers at trackside when covering the 600m in 37.7sec.

By Road To Rock, he came close to shedding that maiden status early last month when, after holding second spot for most of the 1,200m journey, he was overhauled in the concluding stages by Red Ant.

Then in his last start, he ran a similar sort of race but was found wanting over the final 150m and had to settle for third in a race won by THE CAPITAL who, incidentally, also worked like a winner yesterday morning, clocking 42.3 for the 600m. Barend Vorster had his feet in the irons.

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GALLOPS BY TOMORROW'S RUNNERS

RACE 6: The Capital * (B Voster) 42.3.

RACE 9: Mozart Eclipse (WS Chan) canter/pace work.

GALLOPS BY SUNDAY'S RUNNERS

RACE 1: Amazon Gold * (K Toh) pace work/41.7. Tassajara 39.8. Heavenly Hand * 37.6. Miss Elysium (M Rodd) canter/41.1. Vraad * (I Azhar) 36.5. Bimala (CC Wong) C44.8. Yourstokeep * (O Chavez) 37.6.

RACE 2: Smiddy Byrne * (M Kellady) 37.7. Alphanova canter/36.2. Julius Caesar (V Duric) 40.5. Perfect DJ * (B Woodworth) 35.2. Lim's Signature (R Zawari) 38.2. Obstacle Free * (Shafiq) 36.1.

RACE 3: Hello Michelle * (Shafiq) 38.1. Wijaya (Wong) canter/36.9. Host The Nation * (Woodworth) 37.6. Show Far So Good * (Zawari) 36.2. Solitaire (Kellady) 37.9. Starperfect (Chavez) 37.8.

RACE 4: Alfonso (M Nunes) canter/41.1. Alaranch * 35.5. Across The Sea * David 37.6. Joe canter/37.7. Zahir (Zuriman) canter/36.2.

RACE 5: Shanghai Bund 40.4. Guilty Pleasures * (Kellady) 37.9. Cambridge 37.7. Royal Diwan * (Zuriman) Galloped.

RACE 6: Fast Jet * 37.5. Time After Time 36.2. Joy And Happy * (Woodworth) canter/38.6. Kashan 36.4. Captain Classique (Chavez) 37.7. Suvarnabhumi * pace work/41.7.

RACE 7: Keen Dragon 37.1. Montaigne * (J Powell) 37.7. Titan Fighter (Vorster) 36.8. Star Invincible (Shafiq) 40.8. Southern Chief * 37.6. Rusty Brown 39.3. Euro Zone * (Syafiq) canter/37.9.

RACE 8: Ivanhoe (I Azhar) 37. Kings Ryker (Duric) C38.2. Mighty Conqueror * (Azhar) 36.1. Longhu (Kellady) 43.8.

RACE 9: Preditor * (Powell) 37.7. Special Force * 39. Danger Zone canter/39.5

RACE 10: The Cosmos * (Shafiq) 37.4. Effortless * (Powell) 37.7. River Gold * 35.1. Satellite Prince 39.5. John Duke Sam 36.9. Unsurpassed * (Shafiq) 40.3.

RACE 11: Dance In The Wind * (D David) 37.8. Elite Diamond 37.5. Could Be Pearls * (Rodd) 38.1. Sun Aeeker (Wong) canter/40.6. Royal Guard 44.8. Apollo 43.5/39. Hee's A Maverick 41.9. The Jeuneyman 36.2.