'Young' and 'Hip' look bright at dawn
Wednesday's trackwork from Kranji
Will we on Monday, see another adrenaline-fuelled run from FOREVER YOUNG? Like the one which kept him going like well, forever, when winning the Group One Singapore Guineas last month?
Not if HIP HIP HOORAY can help it.
The two meet in Race 8 on the public holiday meeting and, separately in shows of strength, they tore up the training track yesterday morning.
Hip Hip Hooray clocked 36.9sec in his hit-out with ARHAT (Kif Toh) while Forever Young went equally well to stop the watches at 35.2sec for that same trip.
Let's start off with Hip Hip Hooray who is earning a name for himself as one of the smartest trialists at Kranji.
That, after winning his last three over the 1,000m - one of them in 59.53sec and the other two in a nick over a minute.
From Michael Clements' yard, Hip Hip Hooray's last start on May 14 would have been a winning one - but photo finish technology deemed that he took third spot - a nose behind the deadheaters War Affair and Storm Troops in that hotly contested Saas Fee Stakes run over the 1,400m.
He then went to the trials - where else? - and, when carrying a shipload 70.5kg he beat the very-talented SITUATION by half a length.
With yesterday's breezy run under his girth, the work seems done and all that is left is that showdown with Forever Young and Co.
As for the Guineas winner, Forever Young provided the thrills in that big race. Off like a rocket, they expected him to end his run midway down the stretch.
FALTER
And he did look like he was faltering. Then, he didn't. Then, again he did. But he didn't and when the post came up, he had almost a length to spare on the grandstand favourite, Jupiter Gold.
It was the three-year-old's third win from six starts this year.
Battling trainer Kuah Cheng Tee does seem to have a good 'un in Forever Young who can win like he did from the front or, if he so desired, loll around in midfield before taking on and beating the flock with a blistering run to the line.
He's done that twice before. Another similar show wouldn't surprise.
The Restricted Maiden event, which comes up in Race 2 on Monday could throw up a star in the making.
And I'm talking about BE BEE. Like he has done in the trials, he impressed in trackwork yesterday, running the 600m in 38 secs. John Powell was in the saddle.
From Shane Baertschiger's yard, the two-year-old Be Bee won a good trial last week, leading all the way and putting almost three lengths between himself and runner-up D'Don.
By hugely popular sire Showcasing, he meets older horses but has only to reproduce his trial and training form to be a winning factor.
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