This Tiger can Roar
Clements' hat-trick hero is suited for the 1,600m trip
Hat-trick hero Tiger Roar has another top chance to secure another victory and possibly a crack at next Saturday's $1 million Kranji Mile.
The Michael Clements-trained and Falcon No. 7 Racing Stable-owned progressive galloper is a late entry for the Group 1 feature, but his rating is a bit low to qualify.
His owner had paid the late nomination fee of $535 to enter his rising star in the Group 1 feature.
A fourth success on the trot in tomorrow's $70,000 Class 3 race over 1,600m may get him the ticket for the Kranji Mile dream, even if it appears a bit close to the race. More so if it is going to be a hard run.
Anyway, even if he still cannot qualify, a win will steer him closer to other biggies later in the year.
Tiger Roar has been a revelation since his Restricted Terms debut last August.
The bay Australian-bred has never been out of the first three in seven starts. He has won four times and has earned nearly $170,000 in prize money.
By now, we all know he is a slow starter with a powerhouse finish. His late acceleration surfaced at his second start, after his debut third, last September.
Second-last in that Restricted Maiden event over 1,400m, he gave jockey Ryan Munger a turbo-charged ride in the straight to win by nearly two lengths in 1min 22.66sec.
That powerful rush from so far back was mesmerising. It is still etched in my mind.
After garnering two come-from-behind seconds, over 1,400m and 1,800m, he scored again over 1,800m last November, before being rested. His runs were in Class 4.
The four months and one week break certainly did him a world of good. He won both his comeback starts - in Class 3 over 1,400m.
His latest, on May 1, marked him as a classic potential. He flew home to beat Gold Star and clocked a swift 1min 21.53sec with reigning top rookie Simon Kok astride.
"He's a pretty classy horse, it's his class that won him the race. He's definitely looking for further," assessed Clements after the race.
Well, 1,600m is what Tiger Roar is getting tomorrow.
What is more, the race will be run over the long course. Watch him fly at the business-end of the race.
Hopefully, he gets into the Kranji Mile to add excitement to the first of two $1 million races on the Singapore racing calendar.
The other is the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup over 2,000m in November. By then, Tiger Roar, could be a certain starter.
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