Race 10 – Kranji – Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1), 2,000 meters (turf)
The international horses tower over this field, but the best question remains – which of the international runners are best? Here are some SAI Cup thoughts in no particular order:
1. LIZARD’S DESIRE has worked like a champ and seems incredibly well-acclimated to Singapore while the horse he failed to nose out in the Dubai World Cup, GLORIA DE CAMPEAO, seems the opposite to me, a loud, tired mess. I will be shocked if Gloria De Campeao pulls off the win, again. He will have notable opposition from JOLIE’S SHINJU on the lead. This will be the sixth start in three different countries for the well-prepared South African. A cause for pause?
2. PRESVIS might get the pace to run at and, in a smaller field than last year, could find the gap faster to the front. A very dangerous challenge.
3. What’s wrong with AL SHEMALI? His Dubai Duty Free was fast and impressive, and he comes in freshest of all the biggest names in the race. The quiet confidence from the camp has been encouraging and we could see Ali Rashid Al Raihe, the top UAE trainer this season, in the Kranji winner’s enclosure.
4. Call me crazy, but LAHALEEB has a chance here as well. She was hung wide the entire turn in the Duty Free and still stayed on well for a credible sixth beaten almost five lengths. She goes third off the layoff (even considering she had a bit of one into this event) and is a G1 winner over the trip. The connections have reported her to be in the best shape of her life. A roughie chance? Sure.
5. More on Gloria De Campeao…what happens when someone who has never ridden this fickle horses, who got along so incredibly well with TJ Pereira, gets the mount in his first significant international Group 1 before tens of thousands of people?
The final analysis has me completely torn between four – Lizard’s Desire as a result of his tremendous works here in the morning, Presvis as there is a likely pace setup with Gloria De Campeao and Jolie’s Shinju running on, and the pouncing styles of two good-as-they-go runners, Al Shemali and Lahaleeb. If the Dubai Duty Free were a furlong longer, chances are Al Shemali does not win. Considering it doesn’t cost us anything, I will give Lahaleeb a narrow tip at a big price, but think any of the aforementioned four stand a good chance, if not better, than Lahaleeb. This is the best running of the SAI Cup to date and the race is likely to only get better. Perhaps she can get a monster win for Fawzi Nass.
1st - #11 LAHALEEB, 2nd – #4 LIZARD’S DESIRE, 3rd – #3 AL SHEMALI, 4th – #2 PRESVIS
Race 9 – Kranji – KrisFlyer International Sprint (G1), 1,200 meters, turf
ROCKET MAN – a year of better seasoning, home court, no Sacred Kingdom. ROCKET MAN indeed.