Derby hotshots limber up for big date
Lim's Cruiser and Infantry light up morning trackwork
Two hotshots for the Emirates Singapore Derby showed up on the training track yesterday morning and, when it was done, their names would have been penned into many notebooks as horses to include in Sunday's exotic bets.
LIM'S CRUISER had jockey Danny Beasley doing the steering when he clocked 36sec for the 600m, while INFANTRY didn't look like he was being asked to do too much when running the same trip in 37.8sec.
He had Manoel Nunes in the saddle. The Brazilian jockey, who missed the last few days of racing because of injury, looks to be well on the road to recovery and was later seen at the trials.
Back to Lim's Cruiser. He, who has yet to miss the board in 11 trips to the races, will be fully tested over the 2,000m Derby trip.
However, trainer Stephen Gray has been bringing out the shine on his four-year-old that it would take a brave man to say that just because he hasn't tried it, he might be found wanting in the stamina test.
Quite to the contrary, being by Casino Prince, the 2,000m should be right up his alley.
Indeed, it was only recently that a three-year-old son of the sire won the WA Day Weekend Handicap over 2,200m at Belmont in Perth.
Back to Kranji and Lim's Cruiser was a beaten favourite in the Patron's Bowl (2nd leg of the Four-Year-Old Challenge) run over the mile on June 18, finishing fourth behind Alibi who will have the No. 1 saddlecloth in Sunday's big race.
It came after he could only manage a minor placing when third in the 1,400m Stewards' Cup (1st leg of the Challenge).
Prior to that, he put together three on the trot - the most notable being his win in the Lion City Cup over 1,200m in April.
Over to Infantry - and his Derby credentials look impressive.
A winner of seven races from 19 starts, the Alwin Tan-trained youngster will have no excuses for not seeing out the Derby distance.
By Tavistock, Infantry came from a deep midfield spot to win the JBBA Moonbeam Vase which was run over the 1,800m - just 200m short of the Derby trip.
That was in April but recently, Infantry has been running into some sort of form with a fourth, second and a third in his last three runs.
Come Sunday, watch for the jockey in the colours of the Kajorn Petch Racing No. 2 Stable to be charging along like a good foot soldier.
GALLOPS BY HORSES ENGAGED FOR FRIDAY
AUSHORSE GOLDEN HORSESHOE - 1,200m: Mr Hanks * (V Duric) 43.6. Be Bee * (J Powell) 45.5. Ferocious * (R Zawari) 39.9. Yaya Papaya * (I Azhar) 36.6. Charger 38.1. Mokastar * 36. Auspicious Day (A Munro) 35.4. Augustano (M Rodd) 38.1. Confide 35.4. Make U Famous (S Moon) 35.4.
MONDAY: Captain Jamie * (B Vorster) 35.4. First Choice 37.1. Raheeb * (Chavez) 36.8. Safeer (Chavez) 35.3. Iffragal (O Placais) 36.2.
CLASS 3 - 1,100m: Mr Luck * (CC Wong) canter/40.4. Distinctive Darci * (Duric) 34.3. Shadow Of War * (D David) 39.7. Katagas (H Syafiq) barrier/35.1. Host The Nation * (B Woodworth) 39.8.
MONDAY: Golden Tomahawk * 39.6. Elite Star * (M Nunes) 37.7.
CLASS 4 - 1,600m: Muscle Beach 38.6. Lim's Shot * (Duric) canter/37.9. Gold Hill (M Rodd) 38.2. Humdinger * (Munro) 37.3. Military Might * (Nunes) 39.5. Dreamer Legend (N Juglall) canter/35.5.
MONDAY: Optimus 37.6. Easter Mate (E Aslam) 39.3. Brilliant One * 42.8. Sir Reginald * 38.4. Ground Control * 42.8.
CLASS 4 - 1,200m: Justice First (Nunes) 37.9. Macarthur * (Duric) 41.5. Falkirk Lead * 39.8. Lim's Bullet * (Aslam) 37.6. Star Invincible * (David) 40.7. White Coffee (Chavez) 35.8.
MONDAY: Gariza * (Chavez) 36.4. Maidanz Beauty (G Boss) 39.7. Board Walk (Vorster) 36.4. Elite Warrior 34.5. Amazing Man * 36.8. Preferred * 33.7.
CLASS 4 - 1,000m: Premier Fighter 37.4. North Sky (J Powell) 38. Thunder Cat (Placais) 43.2. Mastermind * (Woodworth) 35.9. Platoon canter/35.5. Hiko Yunikon * (K A'Isisuhairi) 35.7.
CLASS 5 - 1,600m: Powerful As Wind (Munro) 37.6. Pop Gems (Azhar) canter/36.8. Alfonso canter/37.9. Danger Zone (David) canter/36.6. Magic Paint 36.5. Bohemian 37. Holy Thomas (Azhar) 39.9. Sun Dance (CC Wong) canter/36.8.
MONDAY: French Vintage * (M Kellady) 37.7. Percius (Boss) 41.4. Spur Me On 40.6. Kennedy * 37.1.
CLASS 5 - 1,000m: Golden Spark * 36.8. Trigger Man 38.2. Barnburgh Lad * (Woodworth) 37.6. Satellite Power 42.7. Cool Cat 40.1. Double Cash 38.1. Dragon Gold 39.4. One O Nine pace work. So Perfect 37.7. Sgfifty (I Saifudin) 38.8.
MONDAY: Arion pace work.
OPEN MAIDEN - 1,100m: Ariel 38.3. Typhon 38.1. Enhancement pace work. Power Warrior (A'Isisuhairi) 35.8. Special King 37.2. Special Luck (S John) 37.2.
MONDAY: Dayuan * 37.3. Asia (Boss) 36.2. Miracle Wei Wei pace work. Raptor * (B Vorster) 36.1.
GALLOPS BY HORSES ENGAGED FOR SUNDAY
EMIRATES SINGAPORE DERBY - 2,000m: Infantry * (M Nunes) 37.8. Lim's Cruiser * (D Beasley) 36. Nova Strike (D David) 44.7. Absolute Miracle * (A Munro) 39.2.
KRANJI STAKES A - 1,600m: War Affair (Beasley) barrier/35.1. Time Odyssey * (N Juglall) canter/34.8. Daniel (M Kellady) barrier/35.1. Twickenham (V Duric) 37.8. Mr Fantastic * (B Vorster) canter/34.8.
KRANJI STAKES C - 2,000m: The Capital * (Juglall) canter/35.9. Iron Man * (Vorster) canter/35.9. Mighty Emperor canter/37.2. El Don * (G Boss) 36. Gold Faith * (CC Wong) canter/37.8.
CLASS 3 - 1,400m: Darci Charmer 38.2. Winning Cause * (Juglall) canter/37.1. Cheetah On Fire (S Moon) barrier/35. Von Krumm 36.9. Return To Justice (Munro) 39.1.
OPEN BENCHMARK 67 - 1,200m: Classified (Munro) barrier/36.3. Himalaya Dragon * 34.4. Faithfully (David) 37.6. Whose Else's * (Boss) 38.8. Queen Roulette * 34.7.
CLASS 4 (1) - 1,400m: The Wind (S John) 34.7. Eclipse Splash * 36.1. Magic City (Nunes) barrier/35.7. Letitgo (Boss) barrier/36. Royal Diwan barrier/35.2. Target 39.8. Moon Charm * (Wong) canter/39.9. Scorpio 35.4.
MONDAY: Roan Ranger (M Zaki) barrier/36.6.
CLASS 4 (2) - 1,400m: Leon 38.5. Taichi Belt * (Beasley) 37.7.
MONDAY: Lim's Casino 36.9.
KRANJI STAKES D (1) - 1,200m: Rich Fortune (Nunes) 35.7. Fragrance Empire (M Ewe) barrier/35.7. Lim's Greeting 40.2. Secret Squirrel * 37.3. Mr Mosa * (David) 37.6. Great Seven 38.5.
KRANJI STAKES D (2) - 1,200m: Ettijah * (Chavez) 36.1. Yulong Holy Praise (John) barrier/36. Louey Veloce * (Boss) 38.1. Steel Cutter 38.3. Soon Yi (John) 35.4.
MONDAY: Shoot Up High * 34.5.
OPEN MAIDEN - 1,400m: Bring Me Joy (Syafiq) 38.9. Happy Baby * (David) 37.2. Walters Bay canter/pace work. Beijing Star * (Zaki) 42.8. Always There 39.9.
RESTRICTED MAIDEN - 1,200m: Boy Wonder (Nunes) barrier/34.9. Silver Sky * (Saifudin) 43.2.
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