KRYPTON FACTOR was put through his paces, and asked to quicken over the last part of some work today.  Trainer Fawzi Nass said that the work was solid and made him feel good going into Sunday’s big race.  ZAZOU and DREAM PEACE both had some final speed work, with the former looking particularly dashing on the Polytrack.  A horse who simply just gets over any surface, his versatility could be a huge benefit in Singapore where weather changes at a moment’s notice.

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS, a winner in Dubai this year, was back on track this morning after taking out a barrier trial earlier in the week at Kranji.  SECRET ASSET got his first legitimate work on Polytrack after using the back hill gallops at Kranji throughout the week.  He’s a sneaky sort and one we have to include in our action.  ATO had some easy galloping as well.

We’ll be back in Singapore tonight with racing and tweeting some thoughts @DubaiRaceNight – follow us!

A few runners recorded times this morning in some stronger work, with DREAM PEACE getting a 600-metre trip in 44.50 seconds, and the last 200 in 13.20.  and ZAZOU were out on course together for gallops, with the former getting on with some faster work, but nothineither horse having done any meaningful speed work thus far since arriving.  CITY STYLE walked a lap of the all-weather surface and then galloped two laps, with the last 600-metre split of the second lap clocked in a leisurely 45.80 seconds, coming home a final 200-metres in 15.30 seconds.  Clearly, the clock was simply running at the point, but think there might be an edge-remover on grass tomorrow.  As we reported on Twitter, trainer Mahmoud Al Zarooni is not expected to make the trip, but Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford is anticipated to represent the team.

2012 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner KRYPTON FACTOR also just galloped about 1.5 laps, while ZAZOU did work over two circuits, neither having recorded any meaningful speed gallops this week.

SECRET ASSET once again worked up the backstretch gallop up the hill on the training course and seemed to go slightly faster over it than yesterday.

Speed work from the day was done by INVINCIBLE ASH and CALIFORNIA MEMORY, the former on grass and the latter on the Polytrack.  As we mentioned yesterday, when California Memory isn’t asked to do anything of consequence, he appears entirely ordinary, and is, overall, a rather compact galloper.  Today, however, he didn’t bat a lash at the gallop on Polytrack in a driving rain, getting 600-metres in 41.60 seconds, and the final 200 in 13.20.  Invincible Ash did get a very solid gallop over the turf course this morning, going 600 metres in 38.00 seconds, and coming home the final 200 in 11.10 seconds, fastest of the week from the internationals.

Later today, the draw takes place at the Singapore Turf Club’s China Square Betting Centre, with not too many significant absolutes amongst the connections for particular positions.

Jane Chapple-Hyam discusses Secret Asset, eighth in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1), beaten less than three lengths.

Casper Fownes, who trained Green Birdie to win the 2010 KrisFlyer International Sprint (G1), talks about his recent second in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1), Thumbs Up, who had some strong work Wednesday morning.

Steven Burridge had four winners from eleven starts at the 2012 Dubai World Cup Carnival, and has starters in all of the big races over the weekend.

For the second day in a row, Hong Kong-based ZAIDAN got on the gallop and made another easy appearance without much fanfare.  CHINCHON and INVINCIBLE ASH, going in separate races, came out together, but quickly separated on the grass course, with Chinchon turning in some fast work over the turf course and appeared no worse for it.  Chinchon was recorded covering 600 metres in 36.50 and came home the last 200 metres in 12 seconds flat.

THUMBS UP, second in the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) in Hong Kong, galloped about 1,200 metres, with particular speed in the last 600 of the trip.  The clockers at Kranji caught him over that 600 in 37.10 seconds and the final 200 in a blazing 11.10 seconds.

ZAZOU, fifth in the Dubai World Cup, clearly a key race for form in the SAI Cup, galloped a lap on the Polytrack, and was shortly followed by KRYPTON FACTOR out for a light gallop over about 1,800 metres, a day after swinging around on the grass course.  CITY STYLE, third in the Dubai Duty Free, continues to impress us most with his appearance, cantering an easy lap on Polytrack before putting in a stronger, but still pressure-less lap.

There is little doubt that CALIFORNIA MEMORY is not overly impressive in his morning appearance, but he seems simply playful when asked to do a circuit without much pressure.  That said, he got over the Polytrack with ease again.

We personally didn’t see DREAM PEACE on course, but David Raphael did catch the filly, and his full annotated notes on today’s trackwork are HERE.  SECRET ASSET, eighth in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1), worked on the training course, which has a slight incline, behind the main grass course at Kranji and appeared in fine fettle.

SPEED BABY, winless since last June in the Patron’s Bowl (G1) at Kranji, defeating Better Than Ever, got over the Polytrack with a gallop that got more spirited as it went on, starting on the outside of the course and working in.  Under a hold, the gelding by Fastnet Rock was clocked the final 600 metres 39.4, and home through the last 200 metres in 11.9.  The mare New Rose Wood got over the Polytrack in 37.6 for her 600-metre work and was home in 12.1.

EL DORADO and WAIKATO both worked in tandem over the grass course without much fanfare, but both of these old-school borderline pensioners got on well, with El Dorado possibly going just a bit better on the outside of his workmate.

Thursday and Friday, we will expect to see some stronger work from the shippers, and think that a few blowouts are likely in order.  Back in 2010, the last time we came to the Singapore International Racing Festival, Dubai Duty Free winner Al Shemali had a very strong gallop on the grass in advance of his solid third placing, just behind Lizard’s Desire and Gloria De Campeao.

Craig Evans, senior commentator for the Singapore Turf Club, joked as the media arrived on Wednesday, discussing the projected weather for the day.  ”Afternoon rain likely the forecast, you don’t need to see the weather report to know what it will be,” said Evans, joking that the forecast is almost always the same.  Regardless, Evans noted that “it will be wet going” in some shape or form, the question is how heavy.

George Moore, assistant trainer for his father John Moore, discusses Zaidan’s chances in the SAI Cup, especially after some “thrashing about” on the flight down from Hong Kong.

Australian Danny Beasley has mounts in the big races on Friday, and gets up on mare New Rose Wood in the Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1) and local longshot Yin Xin in the KrisFlyer International Sprint (G1).

Steven Baster has the mount on a pair of horses who have made their way to Dubai, including Cash Luck in the Singapore Guineas and Always Certain in the SIA Cup, and Mr. Big in the KrisFlyer Sprint, who won last year’s Aushorse Golden Horseshoe.