Super Invincible ready to step up
Down to run on Sunday, Achieved More shines at the trials
Three trials, three wins. And all rather impressively.
When will the real Super Invincible step up to the plate?
Yesterday morning, the four-year-old Australian-bred again showed us that he's smarter than the average horse, winning the second trial by a comfortable 3 1/2 lengths.
It made us wonder if he's going to be the real deal or, perhaps, he just likes the crisp morning air.
Back to that trial, apprentice jockey R Iskandar was in the saddle and both horse and rider had an easy stretch-out.
Super Invincible, who was having a blinkers' test, never put a hoof wrong.
Jumping from the outermost Gate 8, he cleared the chute as if he had done it a thousand times and took the lead on settling down.
Unsung Hero and Beer Garden kept him interested and the trio straightened for the run home comfortably ahead of the rest.
Super Invincible was enjoying himself and toying with his rivals.
So it was, 150m out, Iskandar pushed the buttons and Super Invincible lengthened strides. Had the finish line not come up, he could have put a half-dozen lengths between himself and the second-placed Unsung Hero.
Anyway, not only did he win like a good horse, but he also clocked an impressive 59.73sec for the 1,000m trip.
In winning his previous two trials - both times with Vlad Duric on the reins - he clocked 61.61sec and 60.33sec. This was, therefore, a nice improvement.
Super Invincible had his race debut on July 26. It was the penultimate event on the 14-race programme and punters who were impressed with his win at the trials 10 days earlier, dumped their rent money on the first-timer.
They came away with nothing to show.
Backed down to $7 favouritism and ridden by the champion jockey, Super Invincible could only finish ninth.
Impounded, the club's veterinary team revealed that Super Invincible had returned with an "irregular heart rhythm".
Fingers crossed, that's all in the past and that, when we next see him at the races, he will be trotting into the winner's circle.
Another good one to come out of yesterday's trials was Achieved More.
Although low in the ratings - he is currently at 51 points - he put on a tip-top show to win his trial by a comfortable 43/4 lengths.
His time of 61.41sec was decent - especially since he made all the running from the get-go and wasn't really pushed or prodded over the concluding stages.
Trained by David Kok and ridden by Noh Senari, Achieved More has yet to salute after six starts but he has shown promise.
Like when runner-up to Hotshots Slam on debut a year ago. And when third behind War Frontier on the last day of racing before the shutdown.
Achieved More has been entered for the Restricted Maiden (1) sprint on Sunday. Don't leave him out of your calculations.
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