It's A's for Aramco and Affleck
Freedman and Baertschiger reveal their aces at trackwork
Aramco and Affleck, from opposing stables of Shane Baertschiger and David Freedman respectively, were among the star performers on a wet morning at Kranji.
In separate gallops, Aramco had John Powell on the reins when clocking 38.3sec for the 600m while Affleck - in the company of Lim's Samurai (Glen Boss) - ran out the trip in 37.1sec.
Both are down to contest the Racing Guide Classic - a 1,400m race - on Sunday.
A last-start winner over Sunday's trip, Aramco has been a model of consistency - picking up purses for four smart victories in his nine Kranji starts.
Along the way, he has banked in cheques for a second-place finish to Cyborg in March and two third-place runs - including a high-class affair won by his stablemate Faaltless in August.
In that last start, just a month ago, Aramco fairly blitzed his rivals - coming from near last when they began that sweeping left-hand turn - to win going away by half a length.
FRIST WIN
It was his first win over the 1,400m - the rest were over the shorter 1,200m - and the manner in which he disposed of the opposition that day does seem to suggest it's his cup of tea.
Aramco has also, been a regular at the trials and just prior to that last victory, he ran a cracker of a sprint, almost deadheating with Royal Ruler over the 1,000m.
Soon to join the ranks of Kranji millionaires, Affleck is on the comeback trail and, while his workout was A-star, his recent showings haven't been awe-inspiring.
Indeed, his last win was way back in August last year. But, in his defence, he has been sparingly raced and has faced the starter only twice this season.
However, there seemed a spark in his performance at the trials last week when he came from a long way back to take second behind Order Of The Sun.
He looks a lively one on Sunday.
The same can be said for stablemate and galloping companion Lim's Samurai.
He has so far pulled off a quartet of wins from just 11 starts and, at just four years old, he does qualify as one of those young phenoms now raising the roof at Kranji.
Lim's Samurai put up a super show in July when second to the awesome Infantry in the Emirates Singapore Derby.
That was over the 2,000m. Back to his preferred and more manageable 1,400m, it would take a brave man to run a pencil through his name.
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