Skywalk is up to the task
The best from yesterday's trackwork at the Singapore Turf Club
There seems to be no let-up in form for three last-start winners and they should provide the action on Sunday.
Two of them will clash in Race 9 while the third will give the fancied runners a fight to the finish when they meet in Race 8 - a Kranji Stakes A sprint over the flying 1,100m.
From the top, there's Skywalk. With a rating of 100, he looked in fine fettle when completing his 600m gallop in 39.6sec yesterday morning.
Then we saw Enchanted Mister (Michael Rodd) and Bringer Of War (MM Firdaus) clock 36.8sec and 37.7sec respectively in separate trials. Both are on top of their game.
Skywalk, from trainer James Peters yard, is a sprinter par excellence and his last win some three weeks ago was good stuff.
Clearing the chute cleanly, he tracked the pacemakers, Grand Cross and Royal Ruler, like a hound after blood.
Into the home stretch of that 1,200m race which was being contested for the Korea Racing Authority Trophy, he hit the front 200m out and, under Vlad Duric's urging, held off Rafaello to land the prize with half a length to spare.
Incidentally, Rafaello was another good performer on the training track, returning 36.3sec for the 600m in the company of stablemate Royal Ruler. They, too, will contest the Kranji Stakes A race.
Back to Skywalk, that win on July 22 brought up his second victory for 2018. He had, on May 5 beaten Darc Bounty over the 1,100m.
Between the two wins was that unplaced run in the Lion City Cup. Unfancied in that contest, he was never in the hunt.
Excuses? Well, you could argue that the race was run on grass, which isn't Skywalk's preferred surface.
Five of his seven wins so far have been on the Polytrack - and he will get that "feel" in Race 8 on Sunday.
As for Bringer Of War, she scored a smashing win at her last start on July 27.
Holding second in that 1,200m race, she claimed the lead 200m out and bravely held off the challenge of Hyde Park in the concluding stages.
That was on grass and, while the Mark Walker-trained mare does look to be more at home on that surface, she has also won on the Polytrack.
That was in June last year. So, and while the running surface should hold no fear, the jump in class from Non Premier to Class 3 might prove a stumbling block to overcome.
Still, she is as gallant as they come and a big show wouldn't surprise.
Enchanted Mister, that other good worker on the training track, won last time out in an almost similar Class 3 affair.
That was July 27. Ridden by Hong Kong apprentice Matthew Poon and carrying just 50kg, the four-year-old had the rest of them chasing his shadow from the get-go.
From trainer Lee Freedman's yard, he would beat the talented Clarton Treasure by half a length with Lord O'Reilly - the race favourite - having to settle for third spot.
Owned by Titanium Racing Stable, Enchanted Mister is rising star who will be challenging for bigger prizes in the not-too-distant future.
GALLOPS BY HORSES RUNNING ON SUNDAY
RACE 1: General Marshall 37.2. So Called 37.9. Attention (M Rodd) 38.3. Lim's Pride (T See) 45.3. Jumpin Jack (N Juglall) 37.9.
RACE 2: Royal Pavilion (J Powell) 44.6. Clarton Fortune (I Azhar) canter/39.6.
RACE 3: Effortless (M Kellady) 37.6. Glengallon (C Grylls) canter/37.4. Shaqraa canter/36.3. Super Line 44.1/35.2. Verizon 39.4. Allied Power (D Moor) 45.7. Knight Wager 44.1/35.2.
RACE 4: Lord Of Light (V Duric) 36.5. Shredder (B Vorster) 37.9. Tavito (Grylls) canter/44.1. Emirates Warrior (O Placais) 35.8. Gold Company 39.3.
RACE 5: Gingerman 38.3. Venus De Milo 37.3.
RACE 6: Lucky Boy 37.4. Aeolus 44.1. Cassis Oolong (M Zaki) 36.6.
RACE 7: Impediment 36.8.
RACE 8: Distinctive Darci (Duric) 37.2. Skywalk 39.6. Lincoln Road (J Powell) 37.6. Olympic Anthem (Moor) 34.8. Rafaello 36.3. Royal Ruler (Vorster) 36.3. Constant Justice 36.7. Al Green 38.1.
RACE 9: Enchanted Mister (M Rodd) 36.8. Super Power (Vorster) 35.6. Auspicious Day (Z Zuriman) 39.1. Bringer Of War (MM Firdaus) 37.7. Nimitz 37.8. Sebastian Bach 43.6. Rusty Brown 41.2.
GALLOP BY HORSE RUNNING TOMORROW
RACE 2: Success Come True (MM Firdaus) 38.2.
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