Entertainer puts on a winning show

The money came late and Kranji's astute racegoers were smack on target.

Like it was in the opening event on Saturday, when buckets of cash arrived for the eventual winner, Clarton Treasure, there were no anxious moments for backers of the favourite, Entertainer, in the second.

The topweight in that Open Maiden sprint was simply entertaining.

He took the lead on settling and, from then on, provided us - watching the action unfold on our TV screens - with a racing show.

With Ruan Maia calling the shots from his perch in the saddle, Entertainer teased his rivals.

Two furlongs into the race, he had Oscar Chavez on Crystal Star eating his dust, while Don't Tell Tilly (Tengku Rehaizat) and Matthew Kellady on Eight Ball who held for third and fourth spots, must have wondered what they had to do to save the blushes.

But it was "no worries" for the race leader and $11 favourite. He was, well, the consummate entertainer. He went like a winner and you couldn't take your eyes off him.

It was like he knew he was carrying the hopes of the multitude. Not to mention, being under the spotlight.

That being the case, there was no letting up in effort and endeavour.

Entertainer did all that was expected from him and, under Maia's riding, he coasted in to put almost two lengths between himself and the very promising Eight Ball.

By all counts, it was a command performance and, that being his fifth start, Entertainer will - under trainer Mark Walker - go on to stamp his mark on Kranji racing.

For Maia and his legion of supporters, the rain which fell didn't dampen his drive. The win on Entertainer was his fourth from nine rides in the new year.

Runner-up Eight Ball lost no marks. His was a gallant effort and his special day will come sooner rather than later.

That said, it was also a special day for jockey Troy See. Off the scene for over a year, he recently returned to race riding at the start of the 2021 season.

A former top apprentice in local racing, he drew a blank from his four rides on the season's opening day.

But he didn't waste any time on Saturday, winning with his first ride of the day. The horse who did it for him was Beer Garden, who paid a stunning dividend of $84 for the win.

It was Beer Garden's third win in 17 starts.

While it was an occasion worth remembering for the 32-year-old rider, See's win would have brought a smile to trainer Jerome Tan.

After all, Beer Garden was his third winner for the season, having saddled a double on the opening day with Per Incrown and Surpass Natural.

No offence intended, but that's not a bad statistic for one of the lesser lights in Kranji's training ranks.

Hopefully, the winners will continue to roll in for the 53-year-old trainer, who started off as a syce in 1998 and is now into his third season at Kranji.