Class 5 warriors set for battle
Tigarous and Awesome Conqueror look good on training track
For obvious reasons, Class 5 horses do not get the credit they deserve.
Come on, they may have seen better days or, in the case of the young ones, they are still finding their groove and looking to put it all together.
Still, they know that they are racehorses and they take the same risks as the Infernos and the rest of the champs.
They run their hearts out. They fight like hell. Yet, they seldom - if at all - make the headlines. It is a pity.
Anyway, there is something to be said of one of the four Class 5 races on Saturday's undercard. It is a contest between two youngsters who, if they show potential, should not be staying in Class 5 for too long.
I am talking about Tigarous and Awesome Conqueror. It will be interesting to see them cross swords over the mile.
Tigarous and Awesome Conqueror were on the training track yesterday morning and, in separate workouts, they put in some really good work.
Tigarous had apprentice jockey Shafrizal Saleh doing the steering when he strode over 600m in 38.3sec.
As for Awesome Conqueror, Marc Lerner was in the saddle for his morning stretch in 37.7, after a spot of cantering.
At just three years old, Tigarous is the younger of the two.
Since early April, he has impressed in three trials (two wins and a second) and three races (two seconds).
Last time out on Oct 25, he picked up another second-placed cheque when failing to catch stablemate Day Approach in a Restricted Maiden race over 1,400m.
He will appreciate Saturday's extra 200m.
As for four-year-old Awesome Conqueror, he is by sheer numbers wiser to the way of racing as opposed to Tigarous.
He has faced the starter a dozen times and has a win to show. That was on Aug 8, when he charged home like a freight train to beat Prince Pegasus by a length over 1,400m in Class 5.
He finished third in his last two starts and trainer John O'Hara will be hoping his charge does everything right in this race over 1,600m.
So, too, Clements. He will have Tigarous turned out looking as sharp as a pin.
Which makes one thing certain, it is going to be a good race between these two warriors.
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