Super Dynasty eyes the Derby, Latest Racing News - The New Paper
Racing

Super Dynasty eyes the Derby

Freedman's charge scores big at Kranji on Sunday

For Super Dynasty, all roads now lead to the Singapore Derby.

That, after jockey Vlad Duric had steered the handsome grey to a super win in the Class 3 race over 1,600m on Sunday.

The victory was Duric's second for the day - having earlier scored a heart-stopping win on the Shane Baertschiger-trained Aramco in a 1,200m race.

But it was Super Dynasty's victory in the eighth event on the 10-race card which had them talking.

Among those with something to say was trainer Lee Freedman.

At his 23rd winner for the season, Freedman thought everything fell into place in the race, and he readily agreed that the win would put Super Dynasty in good stead for the $1 million Group 1 Derby on July 21.

On Sunday's run, he said: "I gave him a great chance. He hasn't had the best of runs in the last two. But we knew he was a very good Polytrack horse.

"Vlad had two rides on him previously, scoring one second and a win. And I put a visor on just to sharpen him up, so he had a lot of things in his favour.

"I knew that Bruce's horse (Supernova) was going to go forward, so I told Vlad to make up his mind to lead or to take a seat, and this horse likes to lead, so it's all good.

"He's a four-year-old, so hopefully, if we can get a run, we will line up in the Derby."

In that race on Sunday, the four-year-old son of Fastnet Rock was urged to the front by Duric and he shared the lead with Supernova in the backstraight, before gradually gaining the advantage on his own.

Super Dynasty went on to score by 1¾ lengths from a gutsy favourite, Wolf Warrior, with Richebourg another ½ length away in third.

So, the question: Will he be able to hold his own in a race like the Derby?

Duric replied: "He's a quirky horse. On the day, you really don't know what he will bring to the races.

"He excels on the Poly but he is one of those horses who tends to slow down if you fight him. So you just have to keep his momentum going."

As Super Dynasty has yet to race over more than a mile, a big question mark hangs over his ability to lead all the way - or even last - the Derby trip of 1,800m.

Whichever way it goes, it is a mystery which will be solved in slightly less than two weeks.

HORSE RACING