Big payday for Cash Cove third-up

The boom was on Luxury Brand in Race 2 last Sunday, but it was lowered by the other less-heralded Charm Spirit three-year-old, Cash Cove.

Punters could not be blamed for their first choice. Luxury Brand lost by a pimple to Fadaboy on debut, while Cash Cove drew much less notice at his two unplaced starts when ridden by Wong Chin Chuen.

The money just kept pouring for Luxury Brand until he was hammered into $7 for the win, a price probably slashed further by the X factor of potentially giving Kiwi ex-supermodel Kylie Bax her first win as an owner at Kranji.

Still, Cash Cove has some support, at $35, presumably on the strength of his two fair runs. 

Apart from Luxury Brand and Two Million, the other five runners of the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over the Poly 1,100m were all absolute beginners.

Maybe it was a combination of the race experience and blinkers for the first time, but Cash Cove did beat Luxury Brand.

A large part of the credit should, however, also go to trainer Alwin Tan and jockey Koh Teck Huat for a well-laid battle plan that can best be described as a war of attrition.

The intention was easy to read from the moment Cash Cove jumped as one with Luxury Brand from their two lowest barriers.

It was to keep the favourite honest throughout, hoping that would bring his downfall. It worked like a charm, to say the least.

A gallant Luxury Brand held sway for the best part of the home straight. But he eventually succumbed to Cash Cove’s unrelenting battering, beaten by 1/2-length. 

So clear was the superiority asserted by the winner and his runner-up that the next best, Supreme One (Hakim Kamaruddin), finished third, more than three lengths away. The winning time was 1min 4.55sec.

“This horse is still learning. CC rides him in work every day and recommended we put blinkers on to help him focus better,” said Tan.

“CC could not ride him today as he was committed to Coffee King. I got TH Koh and he did a good job.

“I told him that, with the blinkers on, he should use his good gate and get the horse forward.

“There was a comfortable pace in front and the blinkers helped him, even if it wasn’t a very strong field.”

Tan is not getting too carried away with the win, though.

“I think he has some ability. I’ll look at the programme and discuss with the owner, Ivan Neo, what is the next step with him,” said the 2016 Singapore champion trainer.

“Ivan used to be with (ex-Kranji trainer) Tan Hor Khoon. When HK left, he also stopped. 

“I asked him to come back during Covid-19, and he and his wife Ivy have supported me with four horses, three ‘Cash’ horses (the other two are Cash Out and Cash Cheque) and City Gate.

“He’s also bought four new horses. Three are here, but not registered yet and a new one is on the way.”

With no prior riding experience on Cash Cove, Koh said he just relied on Tan’s instructions.

“I didn’t ride him in his trackwork, CC did,” said the Singaporean rider.

“The plan was to have a good start and stay behind the favourite. He kept giving in the straight.

“I think he needs more time to go over more ground. For now, these distances are just nice for him.”

Tan seems to have already plotted a path along those lines.

“I’ve looked at the programme and I hope to run him in a Novice race over 1,100m on Sept 3,” he said. “I hope he can run well again.”