Clements’ pair light up the trials
Elite Incredible and Pattaya fight out thrilling duel
Last time out, Elite Incredible won with plenty of authority.
That day, just under a month ago, he made every post a winning one, eventually cantering in with a half-length to spare over the hard-ridden Wind Trail.
It was an 1,800m race and Elite Incredible showed that he possessed stamina as well as fighting spirit.
The win was long overdue - especially since the last time he greeted the judge was way back in September 2019.
But it was always going to happen and, now that he has tasted victory for a second time, he might be ready to finally realise his full potential.
Elite Incredible was to have been at the trials on Tuesday morning but a torrential downpour which pelted the racecourse like a meteor shower forced the trials to be carried over to yesterday.
It made no difference to Elite Incredible and, for that matter, the horse he beat, Pattaya.
The pair, both trained by Michael Clements, made that 1,000m sprint their property and they never gave away ownership rights.
Taking the lead at the first turn by squeezing his way through a gap between Nepean and Pattaya, Elite Incredible held off his stablemate in what was a thrilling battle to the end.
Indeed, they were locked together like Siamese twins when they hit the line. It took a print of the finish to determine the winner.
That went to Elite Incredible, the mount of Oscar Chavez. The pair prevailed by a mere nostril from Pattaya. The pair clocked a relatively fast 60.17sec.
Third home - more than 10 lengths in arrears - was the Mark Walker-trained Reignite, who headed off a bunch in that run to the line.
Reignite has always shown potential but he has yet to break through for a win.
With two seconds from four outings, that win should come sooner rather than later.
But, from the trial, one could say it was all about the Clements' pair.
Elite Incredible deserves more than just those two career wins. His second to Top Knight in last September's Singapore Derby had us believing that he would be a contender - or even a winner - in one of those big races.
But, so far, they have been elusive. Still, we reckon he is not done yet.
As for Pattaya, he is still a work in progress. As honest as the day is long, his last 12 races have produced three wins, five seconds, three thirds and a fourth.
It's a strong vein of form and it will pay handsomely to keep tabs on his races.
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