Nova Vocal packs punch in training
Trainer James Peters' Irish-bred the star performer at Kranji yesterday
Nova Vocal showed that he will be a hard nut to crack on Friday night with his stellar track gallop at Kranji yesterday morning.
Paced by stablemate Destroyer Eclipse, the James Peters-trained three-year-old Irish-bred travelled beautifully over 600m on the main Polytrack in 38.5sec.
The bay gelding finished with plenty in hand and pulled up very well, indicating that he is all set to land his second success from just three starts on Friday.
From his two impressive initial starts, there is little doubt that Nova Vocal is a horse going places. He's only three and the world is his oyster.
In his debut on April 8, Nova Vocal won in the style of a good thoroughbred. His speed at the gate and his acceleration when asked are full tesimony of that.
He was lightning fast at the jump but was quickly reined in by jockey Craig Grylls to sit in the box seat together with the $16 favourite Golden Rooster. The pair tracked one-and-a-half lengths behind Bejewelled and Italian Master who disputed the lead.
The two leaders turned for home wide, so did Golden Rooster, who started to make his move. This left a wide galloping room for Nova Vocal. Grylls said "giddy up" and his mount responded by lengthening his strides in fine fashion to hit the front at the 300m mark.
From then on, the race was all over. It was just a question of how far Nova Vocal would win by. At the winning post, he left Bejewelled gasping three-and-three-quarter lengths behind and justified the final push in the late betting to start as the $18 second favourite.
Yes, his winning time of 1min 06.85sec for the Polytrack 1,100m was not at all flashy, but do note that Grylls had relaxed in the final 50m of the Restricted Maiden race.
Nova Vocal proved that the win was no fluke when he nearly scored again the following week in a higher Novice event.
He showed that he was all heart with his titanic battle in the straight with eventual winner Boy Wonder, who prevailed by a mere nose.
It must be noted that the run of Nova Vocal was full of merit as he had a couple of negatives against him. He was not only facing the second-run syndrome but he was backing up within only seven days, and over the Poly 1,200m at that.
Yet, he could produce such a humongous effort, underlining his capability and quality. In fact, it was quite daring of Peters to back him up so soon but perhaps the horse did not show any ill effects from his debut run that Peters lined his charge up to go for that swift double bid.
Nova Vocal earned a rest after that and has come out flaunting his stuff again. About two weeks ago, he impressed with his second placing in a trial, which he could have won it, and now his stellar gallop yesterday.
So watch him in Friday's Class 4 Non Premier event over the Polytrack 1,200m.
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