Lim's Lightning is up to the task
Three-year-old turns in a good gallop at Kranji trackwork yesterday morning
They expected a winning run. And they backed him down like he could not lose.
Well, we know what happened on that February day. Lim's Lightning - the $9 favourite - was beaten out of sight in the race won by outsider, Charger.
Troy See, who rode him that day, explained to the Racing Stewards that he felt his mount did not respond when placed under pressure in the home straight and that, over the concluding stages, Lim's Lightning "felt awkward" in his near fore.
The Stewards, while accepting See's explanation, ordered Lim's Lightning to pass a 1,000m gallop before being allowed to race again.
So, it was, we saw Lim's Lightning at the trials just last week and he passed it with flying colours, winning it in a smart time of 60.51sec.
And, as if to leave no stone unturned, trainer Steven Burridge sent his charge out for a gallop yesterday morning in preparation for Friday's big assignment in the JBBA Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint.
What he produced was a good piece of work, clocking 39.9sec for the 600m.
So, forget about that disappointing run at his last start and put it down to "that's racing" and instead view Lim's Lightning for what he's worth.
Like the fighting spirit he showed when winning last October. Ridden by Daniel Moor, he was always well up and looked a clear winner 200m out.
But, just when he was shouted the winner, Magic Wand came with a huge run. Stride for stride they went. Magic Wand looked to have the upper hand but Lim's Lightning showed us that great heart. He never gave up and got the verdict by a nose.
In all, Lim's Lightning has banked in excess of $340,000 - the bulk coming from his four wins.
On Friday, he comes up against the best three-year-olds stabled at Kranji. We reckon Burridge has done enough to ensure a great run from his charge.
If the sight of a full field of precocious youngsters doing battle over the sprint doesn't whet the appetite, there's always the Chairman's Trophy on Sunday.
And yesterday morning saw two contenders from Michael Clements' yard strut their stuff in preparation for the big race over the mile.
They were Countofmontecristo and Alibi. Sent out together, they clocked 36.8sec for the 600m trip. "The Count" had Glen Boss in the saddle.
Between them, they have won 14 races - seven apiece. However, this is the thing. Both seem to have lost their way to the winner's circle. The last time Countofmontecristo won a race was way back in October 2017, while Alibi last greeted the judge in June 2017.
However, "The Count" has been running encouraging races recently. He was a good thing beaten in the Fortune Bowl on Feb 6, losing out to Blizzard by a mere nostril when jumping from chute 13.
More recently, on March 10 he lost no marks when beaten by Debt Collector in that Class 1, 1,400m sprint.
He meets, among others, Blizzard and Debt Collector in Sunday's Singapore Group 2 mile and he is far from out of it.
Friday’s workouts
GALLOPS BY HORSES ENGAGED ON FRIDAY
JBBA SINGAPORE THREE-YEAR-OLD SPRINT - 1,200m: Revolution * gallop. Lim's Lightning * 39.9. Fire Away * 37. Galvarino * gallop. Quadcopter (M Lerner) 38.1.
Monday: Pennywise * (N Juglall) 40.2. Bold Thruster * (J Powell) 37.1. Top Knight 37.1. Siam Blue Vanda * 36.2. No Fun No Gain * (D Moor) 35.9. Siam Vipasiri * 37.7. Ararat Lady (M Rodd) 37.4.
CLASS 3 - 1,400m: Absolute Miracle 39.1. Little Big Man 36.6. Leading Cellist (M Zaki) 43.5. Star Emperor (S John) 44.4. Stunning Cat (Kellady) 44.6. Moritz Eclipse pace work. Julius Caesar 37.8. Lord Of Cloud 44.5. Lim's Revent pace work. Circuit Mission * (G Boss) 36.1.
Monday: Baffert * (Rodd) 37.2. Mr Exchequer (M Kellady) 37.3. Triple Trio * 37.7. Scorpio 37.9. Sacred Magic 44.1.
CLASS 4 - 1,600m: Value Of Justice (C Murray) canter/38.1. Centurion canter/37.8. Lim's Pride pace work. Stay The Course * (Powell) 45. Verizon pace work. Yulong Dream (Z Zuriman) 39.2. My Friends 36.5. Sun Hoplites (T Rehaizat) 43.1. Humdinger 42.4. Sun Ace 43.4. Redoubt (TH Koh) canter/37.6.
Monday: Magnificent Gold (Rodd) 37.3. Our Pinnacle * (Moor) 39.6. Vittoria Perfetta * 37.3. Prince Pegasus (R Zawari) 39.3. Khudawand 44/43.
CLASS 4 - 1,400m: Southern Spur 44.8. Supernova * 38.8. Battle Of Troy (N Juglall) 37.9. Dazzle Gold 44.8. Super Tickets/gallops. Silent Force * 35.2. Colchester (Zaki) gallop. Smooth Operator (Zuriman) 36.8. Lucky Tiger (N Zyrul) 39.7. Racing Talent (Koh) 36.1.
Monday: Made In China * (Moor) 40.8. Smiling Proud (B Woodworth) 39.9. Sacred Sea 36.7. Don De La Vega * 37.1. Hyde Park * (Moor) 40.4. Born To Be King (Kellady) 36.9.
OPEN MAIDEN - 1,100m: D'Great Command (M Ewe) gallop. JK Flash 41.8. Queen Of Queens (Zuriman) 37.9. Bell Air 36.1. My Miracle gallop.
Monday: Aabir (Zawari) 38.3. Mont Choisy (Juglall) 39.5.
CLASS 5 - 1,200m: Thoth Warrior 41.6. Golden Win * (Rodd) 35. Richie Rich (Ewe) 36.1. Solitaire (Y Salim) 44.6. Miracle Wei Wei 43.1.
Monday: Analyst 36.7. Love Me Tender 38.2. Broadway Success (MM Firdaus) 36.3. Clarton Star (B Thompson) 38.2.
CLASS 5 (1) - 1,400m: Mings Man (Zyrul) 39.3. My Boss (Rodd) 38.4. Fighting Warrior (Woodworth) 43.5. Gros Piton * 36.7. Montrer canter/36.1. Official 40.6. Joyous 36.4. Wira Sakti gallop.
Monday: Another Show (Firdaus) 34.8. Millennium's Rule (Thompson) 40. Peer Gynt 37.3. Sonoran 43.4. Venus De Milo (Murray) 37.6.
CLASS 5 (2) - 1,400m: Brimstone canter/pace work. Gold Kingdom 38.1. Dragonite 43.3. Walters Bay canter/37.7.
Monday: Lim's Hunter 37.4. Clarton Palace 36.2. Elena Of Avalor 38.7. Spokesman 38.1. Tiger Boss (Moor) 38.8. Halime (Firdaus) 36.4. Aeolus 37.1.
Sunday’s workouts
GALLOPS BY HORSES ENGAGED ON SUNDAY
CHAIRMAN'S TROPHY - 1,600m:
Countofmontecristo * (G Boss) 36.8. Alibi 36.8. Forever Young (N Juglall) 40.5. Lim's Magic (I Amirul) 38.4.
CLASS 1 - 1,200m:
War Affair (V Duric) 37.1. Super Winner * 36. Nova Swiss 36.5. Autumn Rush * 36.4. Super Fortune 39.7. King Louis (Juglall) 39.2. Nimble * (S John) 40. Gingerella * 37.4.
CLASS 3 - 1,600m:
Murrayfield (Amirul) 37.8. Silent Partner * 40/35. King's Speech 39.8.
Monday: Richebourg * (C Murray) 34.7. Sahara Eagle 37.4.
CLASS 3 - 1,200m:
Sun Dream 37.8. Safeer * 37.1. Bahama Mama 39/35. Super Ray gallop.
CLASS 4 - 1,700m:
Kokoni 37.7. El Chapo 38.3. Sun Dragon 35.7.
Monday: Lim's Ripple 37.8.
CLASS 4 - 1,400m:
Turf Princess (R Iskandar) 35.2. Heartlight (Juglall) 36.4. Cerdan 43.9.
Monday: Despacito 37.1. Sacred Guru * (B Woodworth) 39.1. Salvador * 37.2. Black Quail (Woodworth) 39.6.
CLASS 5 - 1,800m:
Keep Winning canter/35.8. Blue Chip 39.9. Flash The Flag gallop. Pioneer Step * 36.4. My Money gallop. Gingerman (Juglall) 40.5. Relic Warrior canter/37.6.
Monday: Gold Company * 37.4.
RESTRICTED MAIDEN (1) - 1,200m:
Lim's Ray/gallop. My First Million 37.3.
Runfinnrun (D Moor) 37.4.
Monday: Andre 37.4.
RESTRICTED MAIDEN (2) - 1,200m:
Hugo (B Thompson) gallop. Salamence (Woodworth) 36.6. Flying Sky (M Lerner) 38.1. Hostwin Chevalier 37.1. Lim's Craft * 38.9. The Iceman * 37.3. Worth It (T Krisna) 39.2.
Monday: Summer Glitter pace work.
OPEN MAIDEN - 1,600m:
Ordos Legend 38.3. Solid Cash 38.2. Legendary Era (Lerner) 38.4. Speedy Rose 38.3.
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