Sing Roulette lights up quiet morning

On a Tuesday morning when there were no earth-shattering performances at the trials, it took a horse with a Class 5 rating of 43 to provide fodder for a racing piece.

So, thank you SING ROULETTE.

He didn't break any land speed records. For that, you need flat-out speed. He didn't have it but he still kept on grinding away on what was pure courage.

Sent off in the third of four trials, Sing Roulette was away with the rest and jockey Saifudin Ismail gave his mount all the time needed to find his balance before sending him on strongly from the 750m mark.

For a while he matched strides with DELFYNE but soon got tired of the game and raced ahead.

Since racing is a sport which does not linger on its fallen, we thought it was all over until EVERTRUST picked up the gauntlet and gave chase.

The pair went stride for stride over the last 150m before Sing Roulette made that final lunge which gave him victory by a mere head.

It must be said that seven-year-old Evertrust, formerly with David Hill but now under the care of new trainer Tan Kah Soon, lost no marks and does look to be on the comeback trail.

But it is Sing Roulette whose name must go into your little black book of horses to follow.

After a long and fruitless trek in Class 4, he is now eligible to race in Class 5.

Worth noting that it was when he was in a Class 5, 1,200m sprint, that he scored his fourth and last career win.

That was in late February when he made every post a winning one, cantering in by a length and a half.

Bumped up to Class 4, the best he could manage was a runner-up spot behind Southern Man who prevailed by a mere nostril.

That was in late May and he was sent off as the $195 longshot in that 1,100m race on the Polytrack. Trained by Leslie Khoo, who is experiencing a lean spell, a good showing by Sing Roulette at his next start could be the tonic needed to get the trainer back to his winning ways.

Also on Tuesday, we saw an inspired run by STRAP MARKS in an Official Race Trial.

A four-year-old newcomer from trainer Stephen Gray's yard, he led his rivals on a merry chase, clearing away over the final 200m to beat another newbie named BALL AND CHAIN by almost two lengths. He clocked 62.39 sec for the 1,000m.

A New Zealand-bred, Strap Marks had two trials back home before being flown out here. Both times he impressed - winning once and placing second on the other occasion.

He should run a forward sort of race at his Kranji debut.