When it was a 'Bright' and 'Gold' morning
Kranji trackwork
On a rare morning when the rain stayed away and WONDERFUL made clockers sit up and take notice, two other gallopers announced their intentions to steal some of the Lunar New Year spotlight away from trainer Shane Baertschiger's multiple winner.
They were JUPITER GOLD and HALO BRIGHT - who are down to run in Race 7 on Sunday and Race 10 on Monday respectively.
Jupiter Gold was on his toes when running the 600m in a smart 35.6secs. That, after going one round at a nice canter. He was ridden by Englishman Alan Munro and they had GALAXY EXPRESS for company in that morning spin.
Halo Bright, from Theo Kieser's yard, looked real sharp in his prep for Monday. With Glen Boss in the saddle, the youngster left no questions unanswered when clocking 39sec for the trip.
As for Wonderful who is gunning for a "five-in-a-row" in Race 9 on Monday, he was in great shape when timed at 38sec for the 600m.
Back to HALO BRIGHT. While most connections would grab at a win and a second from just seven starts - which, by the way, is Halo Bright's scorecard - the three-year-old is better than his resume reads and he looks to have the sharp 1,100m sprint at his mercy.
Last time out, the son of Tycoon Ruler went down to a huge talent in Shadow Of War. That said, on the day he did beat the likes of Cadet and Hello Michelle - which must count for something.
Perhaps now is as good a time as any to remind ourselves just how Halo Bright won in October last year. Carried wide into the stretch and even wider at the business end of things, jockey Manoel Nunes had to take the scenic route home and it was that heart inside of Halo Bright which gave him that victory.
As for JUPITER GOLD, he must be gold dust to his connections. As one of those young phenoms burning the track, he has already scored four times from seven outings and that last-start victory was one to savour.
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NON-ACCEPTORS FOR SUNDAY’S KRANJI MEETING
Race 1: Mighty Glory.
NON-ACCEPTORS FOR MONDAY’S KRANJI MEETING
Race 6: Metaphor and Silent Connection.
Race 7: Lim’s Elusive and Zeus.
Race 9: Robin Hood and Mr Fantastic.
Race 10: O’Reilly Bay.Race 1: Rainbow Star and Real Goodman.
Race 2: Lim’s Royal.
Race 4: Dayuan and Key On Kodiac.
Race 5: Super Big and Major Green.
Race 6: Ocean De Lago.
Race 7: Joy And Happy and Natural Water.
Race 8: Aureus and Speedy Warrior.
Race 9: Flak Jacket and One Rar.
Race 10: Dragon G and Satellite Boy.
Race 11: Gato Negro.
After beginning awkwardly, Jupiter Gold was obliged to tuck himself in a spot near last. There he stayed until the home turn where Munro peeled him out and away from the congestion in front.
From there it was just a matter how when and by how much he was going to win the race. We found that out soon enough.
He collared the frontrunners 200m out and cleared away to put a spot of daylight between himself and the rest. Two lengths was the official margin. To the chasing pack, it might as well have been an eternity.
We know from yesterday's hit-out that trainer Hideyuki Takaoka has his runner in tip-top condition. It's just a matter of Jupiter Gold bringing that form to the races. We reckon he will.
Gallops by horses engaged on Sunday and Monday
SUNDAY
RACE 1: Golden Casino * (CC Wong) 36.5. Muscular Sprinter (O Placais) 39.7. Mr Crowe * (V Duric) canter/37.7. Moon River * 37.5. Master Banger (M Zaki) 43.2.
RACE 2: Draco (M Rodd) 38.8. Big Regards 37. Alamak Boy 37.6. Lim's Sparkle 43.7. Lim's Stardom (Placais) 38.8.
RACE 3: Champagne Rein 39.9. Kratos * 39.8. Lim's Shot * 38.7. Pure Justice (CK Ng) 36.6. Uncle Lucky * (I Saifudin) 39.2.
RACE 4: * appy Buffalo (Rodd) 37.9. Rajawali canter/37.9. Winning Express 43.5. Justice Light (Z Syed) pace work. Southern Glory (N Juglall) canter/35.9. She's The One (I Azhar) pace work.
RACE 5: Pop Gems canter/41.4. Starperfect * (M Kellady) 37.5. Singsurat 38.8. Commodore Lincoln 37.9.
RACE 6: Fortune Spirit (Placais) 40.2. My Reach (Azhar) canter/38.2. Oasis Spur (T* Koh) 43.4.
RACE 7: Jupiter Gold * * (A Munro) canter/35.6. Valbuena * (Rodd) canter/39.7. Politics * (Juglall) canter/38.2 Zeus * 39.1. Preditor * (Kellady) 37.2. Elite Beast * (Rodd) 40.2.
RACE8 : Moment Of Justice (Syed) * 39.7. Colonel Lincoln (J Powell) 44.6. Mr Clooney * (M Nunes) canter/36.8. Lucky Mission * canter/35.7. Platoon 37.3. * ongchen (WS Chan) 38.6. Marea Negro * (D David) canter/38.4.
RACE 9 (FORTUNE BOWL): Cooptado pace work. Blue Swede * (Kellady) 37.5.
RACE 10: Ahmar (R Zawari) canter/36.6. Constance's Spirit 38.7. Creamy Custard * (Kellady) 37.9. Davinci 38.8. Asprey (Nunes) 37.8. Moon Charm * pace work. Muscular Captain * (Placais) 36.1.
RACE 11: D'Buffalo Man 38.4. Groenewegen * (Rodd) 38.9. I've Got A Feeling * (Powell) 37.6. Iking (Ng) 40.9. * ero I Am * (Kellady) 38.1. Dance In The Wind * (David) 37.3. Gannet (Ng) canter/36.6.
MONDAY
RACE 1: Best Jade 36.9.
RACE 2: Darc Bounty (Duric) 39.9. Dayflirt* 41.4. Dontlookdownonme (Y Salim) 43.9. Majulah 37. Scorpio 40.9. War Story * (Powell) 37.2. * onor (Nunes) 37.5.
RACE 3: Excellency (B Vorster) canter/36.1. L'Apprenti Sorcier pace work/gallop. Golden Curl * 41.3. Kirks Ryker * (Vorster) canter canter/37.9. Parliament * (Juglall) canter/36.1.
RACE 4: Anghiari (Salim) 40.8. Taichi Belt * (Duric) 38.2. Jacks Secret * (Nunes) 39.9. Super Missile (E Aslam) pace work. Prince Ferdinand * 36.9. Race For Fame (David) 40.5. Mai Darko 39.9. Red Rackham (S Sam) 37.7. Dayuan 36.6.
RACE 5: Enthuse * 36.6. Infermo * 36.2. Lively Dragon* 36.2. Lim's Control 37.8. Knight * arlook (Wong) canter/35.7. Cheetah King (Chan) 37.4.
RACE 6: Wonderful Knight * (Woodworth) 36.5. Sun Mirage * (Wong) canter/42.8. Show Far Show Good (Nunes) 38.8. Bit Of A Schiller pace work.
RACE 7: Million Round * (Wong) canter/36.2. Pretty Elusive * (Zawari) 40.3. Time After Time 37.9. Dragon * 41.8. Peregrine Falcon pace work.
RACE 8: Flying Winner * 38.9. Over Easy (K A'Isisuhairi) 45/39.2. Karigara * pace work/39.2. Grand Paris canter/36.4.
RACE 9: Sun Pioneer * (Wong) canter/39.7. Wonderful ** (Powell) 38. Darci Charmer (K Toh) 38.8. Pioneer Seven 37.5. Constant Justice * (S Shafrizal) 36.8. Astrostar pace work/gallop. Distinctive Darci * (Nunes) canter/41.6.
RACE 10: * ello Michelle * (Azhar) 39.6. Duty First (Powell) 37.5. Golden Tomahawk * (Toh) 38.8. Rainbow Royal (Munro) 45. Court Case * canter/41.5. * alo Bright* (G Boss) 39. * ost The Nation * (Woodworth) 36. Delfyne 38.5. Unsurpassed * 35.6. Dragon G 38.2. Lucky Sugar 40.
RACE 11: Lim's Knight* (Zawari) 36.6. Barnato * (Vorster) 37.4. Rich Fortune (Placais) 39.6. Deimos * 40.3. Iconnic * (Saifudin) 37.4. Smart Fortune (Saifudin) 44.3.
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