Good vibes from O'What A Feeling
The best from yesterday's trackwork at Kranji
The feeling couldn't have been that good when he was beaten at his last start - and quite comprehensively at that.
But O'What A Feeling seems to have picked himself up and is ready to put right what went wrong on that December day last year.
Down to contest a Class 4 race over the 1,800m on Sunday, trainer Shane Baertschiger put his charge through a winding-up gallop on the training track yesterday morning and O'What A Feeling came through with flying colours.
Ridden by John Powell, who has been sitting out the season's opening meetings through suspensions, O'What A Feeling was hard held when running the 600m in 37.2sec. He had stablemate Tun O'Reilly (Matthew Kellady) as a galloping companion.
Tun O'Reilly is slated to run in the Kranji Stakes D event for milers.
However, of the two, it did appear to those at trackside that O'What A Feeling ticked all the boxes.
Back to that last-start in December, it was a race dominated by the sweepers and, at the 200m mark, it resembled the charge of the horse brigade when the backmarkers came thundering home.
O'What A Feeling was in that pack and, when the dust had settled, he found himself beaten into second spot by $98 outsider Billy Britain. That day, O'What A Feeling was ridden by Vlad Duric and punters sent him off as the $33 fourth pick.
It wasn't the most straightforward of rides for Duric as his mount had shifted in during the running. But it was still a dogged display which served to suggest he could be the one to beat in his next start - which just happens to be in Race 6 on Sunday.
A six-year-old by O'Reilly, O'What A Feeling had two runs earlier - in October of last year - played bridesmaid to Lim's Ripple in a race run over the 2,000m. He was a tad unfortunate that day, having had to check at around the 1,200m mark.
It's been almost a year since he last won a race and the time looks ripe for him to knock in another one for his connections.
As for Tun O'Reilly, his galloping partner yesterday morning, his last win was way back in September of 2017. That was on debut and it also makes him winless for over 16 months.
Still, he is not without a hope in that 1,600m race on Sunday.
Indeed, he seems to be running into some kind of form recently and has made the board in three of his last four starts.
Last time out, when drawn an outside alley, they changed riding tactics on him and attempted to go forward early. That he did, pinching the lead after the get-go. But it meant he had to race wide and without cover for quite a bit of the mile trip.
He finished sixth, but he's better than that. Have him in your calculations when planning an assault on those exotic bets.
We don't know much about him, but Smash would have gone into many notebooks when he finished third Federation over 1,200m on New Year's Day.
And yesterday morning, the Michael Clements-trained youngster got himself ready for his Sunday assignment (Race 3) with a pleasing workout on the training track.
Ridden by Glen Boss, the son of Guillotine showed good action when running the 600m in 36.3sec.
He looks trim enough to run a good race over the the longer 1,400m on Sunday. Keep him on your shortlist.
Yesterday's Kranji gallops by horses engaged on Sunday
RACE 1
Astra * (B Woodworth) 35.5. Gridiron (G Boss) * 35.5. Parker (N Zyrul) pace work.
RACE 2
Run The Day (B Woodworth) 35.6. Sun Emperor 39.1.
RACE 3
Catch The Tiger (M Kellady) 44.8. Sothistheone 43.2. Always Innocent 37.6. Giant Killing 37.3. Black Orchid 41.1. Smash * (G Boss) 36.3. Stay The Course (J Powell) 40.3.
RACE 4
Yulong Sheng Long 36.9. Tun O'Reilly * (M Kellady) 37.2. Iron Fist 37.3.
RACE 5
Mighty Emperor * (B Vorster) 37.8. Across The Sea (M Lerner) 37.1. Bebob (M Zaki) 36.3.
RACE 6
O'What A Feeling * (J Powell) 37.2. Theagenesofthasos * 36.3. Majestic Empress (B Vorster) 38.1. Matsuribayashi (M Lerner) 35.8. Alamak 40.9. Sun Hancock * (M Zaki) 35.8.
RACE 9
I've Got A Feeling (J Powell) 38.2. Safeer * 37.1. Made In China * 39.9. Justice Light * 43.8. Yulong Edition (M Kellady) 38.2. Black Quail (G Boss) 35.6.
Withdrawals for Singapore races
NON-ACCEPTORS FOR TOMORROW'S KRANJI MEETING
RACE 3: Storm Trooper
RACE 4: Best Bay
RACE 8: Howl
NON-ACCEPTORS FOR SUNDAY'S KRANJI MEETING
RACE 1: Shenbao, Pacific Secret
RACE 3: Bangkok Girl, Always Innocent
RACE 4: Hero In The Wind, Hephaestus
RACE 5: Mettlesome, Reach For The Sun
RACE 6: Oliver, New Sensation
RACE 7: Lim's Dashing
RACE 8: Sun Princeps
RACE 9: Gold Reward
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