Heliosphere on the go
Trainer Lee Freedman's rising galloper the best bet of the night
Smart debut winner Heliosphere may have failed to follow up last time out, but the way he ran on for third placing was certainly pleasing.
Backed down to $10 favouritism like his maiden Kranji outing, the Lee Freedman-trained four-year-old was probably affected by the Second-Run Syndrome.
He did not fire up, as was expected, in the Kranji Stakes C event over 1,400m. But, when he slipped into gear late, he really chomped at the leaders.
His effort came a bit too late but it got him to only ½ length and a head behind the winner Black Jade and runner-up Sun Marshal. Given another 50m or so, he would have made it back-to-back at Kranji.
Heliosphere has picked up tremendously from that outing and the extra 200m in tonight's Kranji Stakes C affair will suit him.
When he won his debut on Dec 2, he also showed he needed more ground to be fully effective.
In that Polytrack 1,200m event, the Australian-bred hung around midfeld and then wound up steadily in the straight. He produced a nice turn of foot to get up to beat Copacabana by ¾ lengths.
For the record, Heliosphere's victory in Australia was over tonight's 1,600m journey on a heavy track. He was just as consistent back home. From four other starts, he was second once and third twice from 1,200m to 1,400m on good and wet tracks.
Tonight, Heliosphere is drawn well in gate 5 and jockey Daniel Moor should be able to snatch a good position and sit on the speed. The long course is an added advantage.
Interestingly, Freedman, as the reigning champion trainer, has yet to saddle a winner this year. But he has fielded a strong team tonight and should break the duck, likely not only with Heliosphere but a couple others.
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