Talented youngsters get the nod
Rocket Star and Spirit Of Big Bang look Best Bet material
A "star" should shine at the races tonight and, when tomorrow comes along, you might want to be looking the way of a horse who, at two Kranji starts found one to beat.
His name's Spirit Of Big Bang.
First off though, there's Rocket Star and right now he looks a standout.
From the ranks of Ricardo Le Grange, Rocket Star has been a model of consistency and, after just four starts, he looks well on the way to paying off his purchase price of $120,000.
As it stands, he has scored one win and his other three runs have produced second-placed finishes. It's a pity, really. If not for interference and some blatant bad luck, it just might have been four wins off the bounce.
Take that debut run in May. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong.
He shifted in shortly after the start and, passing the 400m, he was disappointed for a run. But he grabbed the bit, rallied, and finished just a shorthead behind the winner.
Then in July, when having his third start, he was again held up for about 300m from the 500m mark to the 200m mark. That race was the Magic Millions.
Last time out, in the $250,000 "Aushorse", Rocket Star just couldn't buy a break and was checked behind a tiring runner. He still managed to bank in a sizeable cheque.
Sometimes, three strikes means you're out. But I'm not about to give up on the handsome chestnut. Since that defeat in the "Aushorse", he has been back to the trials and his hit-out just a week ago was full of merit.
He deserves a win and he's in that kind of form where he should deliver. Ben Thompson rode him in the trials and will stick with him today.
As for Spirit Of Big Bang, he's my best bet for Sunday and, I reckon, he will have plenty of admirers.
An obvious talent from Michael Clements' yard, this Irish-bred raced four times in the home country and, in August last year, he was a good thing beaten at Killarney.
Arriving here in March, he had just one trial for a second-place finish behind Lim's Samurai.
It wasn't the swiftest of trials but Clements reckoned he was ready for his Kranji debut.
Well, he sure looked the part that day in August but he received no favours in the running.
Tardy out of the gates, his job was made even more difficult when he was held up for clear running room on straightening.
But like a good horse, he never gave up the fight and, at the finish, he was just a neck behind the winner, Grand Choice.
Backed down to $8 favourite at his next start, he again found one to beat in Sothistheone.
Spirit Of Big Bang has trained on nicely and Clements has picked a winnable sort of race for the four-year-old.
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