Certainly could win one more for the Sungs
Cliff Brown-trained galloper shines during trackwork
For staunch supporters of racing, going back to Bukit Timah days, it is always nice to see the Sungs of Auric Stable lead in a winner.
Come Sunday, that could happen again when CERTAINLY lines up with eight others in Race 8 - an Open Benchmark 97 event to be run over the stayers' trip of 2,000m.
Sent out yesterday morning for a spot of work ahead of Sunday's assignment, the five-year-old was on his toes when running the 600m in 37.8sec.
Already a four-time winner with stake earnings of more than a quarter of a million dollars, Certainly showed in his last start that he didn't just have stamina - but the heart of a lion - when he clawed to the front in a three-horse dash to the line.
The judges called for a photo which showed that Certainly had his nostril down at just the right time.
That was over the 1,800m and he was ridden by the young Hong Kong visitor, Matthew Poon.
Until then, Certainly's victory margins were nothing less than half a length.
Doubting Thomases out there might question his ability to see out the 2,000m. After all, he has so far had two attempts at the distance and both times failed to finish in the money.
Well, judging from the way he won his last start when beating the likes of Of Normandy and Aotearoa, Certainly could actually appreciate the extra 200m.
So, come Sunday, look out for the jockey in the red and gold silks of Auric Stable sailing down the middle of the track to claim yet another victory.
Then, applaud them - The Sungs and, of course trainer Cliff Brown - when they lead in their winner.
Also on Sunday, another powerhouse owner could claim another scalp.
I'm talking about China Horse Club and OTTAWA, who is down to contest the 1,400m in Race 10.
The precocious youngster was not out to break records on the training track yesterday but still managed to get into many notebooks when he covered the 600m in a breezy 41.6secs.
Since entering the fray, the China Horse Club team have been known to bring in quality racehorses. And Ottawa's just one of them.
Bred in Australia, he went under the hammer at $200,000 when just a yearling and, with natural progression, should soon recoup that purchase price - with interest.
Ottawa has so far had six runs for a win, a second and two fourth-placed finishes.
His win was over the 1,400m in May and, last time out, he was a tad unlucky not to have brought home his second success.
In that race, also run over Sunday's 1,400m, he found himself racing tight and carried wide over the concluding stages by the eventual winner, Magic City.
The winning margin was half a length.
He would love to make amends and trainer James Peters seems to have found a winnable sort of race for him.
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