Hard to stop Silent Force
Having trained on, the Lee Freedman-trained last-start winner makes the best bet at Kranji tonight
The improving Irish-bred Silent Force will be worth the wait at Kranji tonight.
Prepared by reigning Singapore champion trainer Lee Freedman, Silent Force won well last time out and has trained on beautifully. Thus, he makes the best bet in tonight's card of eight but racegoers have to wait until the last race at 10.20pm to take the plunge.
On June 9, Silent Force stepped out on three nice runs - which yielded a debut third and a last-start fourth - to greet the judge in an eye-catching manner in a Class 4 Division 1 race over 1,200m on turf.
Ridden by Joseph Azzopardi, four-year-old bay gelding raced in midfield early and gradually progressed nicely.
But he then met with interferance which almost ruined his winning chance.
The Stipendiary Stewards' Report stated that he was "held up from the 500m before shifting outwards and gaining clear running near the 400m".
This could have stopped many horses in their tracks but not Silent Force. Azzopardi deftly rectified the tricky situation and brought his mount home at a rate of knots.
In the end, Silent Force not only won but careered away to a widening 23/4-length victory from Lim's Mighty.
His winning time of 1min 10.25sec was commendable.
A one-time winner from seven stars in the United Kingdom, Silent Force seems to have thrived further.
On Tuesday morning at Kranji, the horse was seen going great guns. With Azzopardi in the saddle, Silent Force dashed keenly over 600m in 38.3sec. He pulled up full of running and was on his toes when trotting back to the stables .
Silent Force remains in Class 4 but picks up 4kg to 58.5kg. The extra burden may be a bit of hindrance but tonight's field is not that strong.
What do we have?
Well, the only other horse that have finished in the money in the last start is Mach.
Trained by Steven Burridge, Mach's third was in the race that Silent Force won. Mach lost by 31/2 lengths with apprentice jockey A Syahir aboard and his handicap remains at 55.5kg.
This time, Mach will get another 3kg-claiming rider, WH Kok, astride.
But, while he jumped from gate 7 the last time, he has now drawn the second-widest barrier. He could go close again but, fitness-wise, Silent Force is jumping out of his skin.
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