Boss lifts Alibi to sensational victory
Review of Sunday's Patron's Bowl meeting at Kranji
At the finish, Vlad Duric on Elite Excalibur thought he had won the Patron's Bowl. He had every reason to believe so.
Then again, so did Glen Boss on ALIBI. He had hit the front 150m out and had everyone else beaten. So he stood in the stirrups like a Titan.
Photo finish.
After what seemed like an eternity, the numbers went up. 2-5-3-4. Alibi had "bossed" them all in the Patron's Bowl. No quarrel there.
It was by the narrowest of margins but Alibi, who of late has been a portrait of consistency, had prevailed.
His trainer Michael Clements - all of six foot something - though not in town to watch the race, had reason to walk tall.
He had prepared his four-year-old to win the Stewards' Cup, the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Challenge on May 28.
It was already a huge achievement. Then, to add the Patron's Bowl and the second leg on May 28 and yesterday. It wasn't just icing on the cake.
He had the whole confectionary. What a training feat. What a horse.
While he had never been box office, like some of the other illustrious winners of the Bowl, maybe now racegoers will start taking notice of him - and rightfully so. He's something else.
Alibi paid a decent $28 for the win. Elite Excalibur paid $13 for the place while third-place getter Infantry paid $9.
Earlier, in the opening race, the unheralded combination of trainer Sonny Yeoh and his able assistant Saimee Jumaat, picked up from where they left off on Friday by sending out EL CAMINO to take the Kranji Stakes "D" sprint over the 1,400m.
IN STYLE
And their four-year-old did it in in style, coming from a midfield spot to win like all good racehorses do.
Credit for El Camino's win must, of course, go to jockey Duric.
Riding on a wave of success following his treble on Friday, the Australian hoop had El Camino positioned in such a dominant position that, when they straightened for the run home, you wouldn't have wanted to be on any other runner except the "No. 5".
El Camino, who has been winless for 16 months, rewarded his backers with a $22 payout - which was a bonus to his followers as he was "ousted" from favourtism right at the "go" when a pile of money was dumped on Phildias who, though prominent early, never looked a factor at the business end of things.
A horse who will surely go on to win bigger and better things made an appearance in Race 2 - and, as we thought would happen, he garnered a busload of fans with his nice win over the 1,200m.
Bred in Australia, MADE IN CHINA brought his excellent trial form to the races to win on debut.
Ridden by K Ishiuhairi and trained by James Peters, Made In China beat Farees after a huge battle late on.
Both winner and runner-up impressed and must go into that black book as horses to follow.
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