A last start running on late for eighth in the G1 Singapore Derby and a runner that just missed a start by being balloted from the race are the fighters to follow tonight in the feature bout.
Martial Art was seen to be finding the line okay in the Derby and but for an average start, which wasted his good gate, he settled back a lot further than anticipated and I do feel he should have finished a lot closer.
The four-year-old is turf proven and the 2000m tonight of the S$95K Benchmark 89 (Race 7) is his pet trip plus Joao Moreira to ride will give bettors added confidence.
Moreira has ridden the Laurie Laxon trained gelding three times for a win and two honest efforts, when track conditions and tempo never helped twice.
Ironically the win came at 2000m on turf in January this year and saw Martial Art defeat Clint, the easy 2011 Singapore Derby winner, when giving that runner 1kg too.
The Derby this year was a serious run affair and no place for stamina deficient runners or anything covering too much extra ground.
I do see a fighting fit Martial Art as being able to show that his Derby bout, while decent in endeavour, is not a true reflection of how good he is and can be.
He may be a smidgen close in the weights to some proven older warriors such as South Easter and King Faalcon but Martial Art has ended up being the sole entered Laxon fighter in the contest this evening.
He did have the four-year-old mare Cape Treasure, a last start easy winner over 2000m, nominated for this race but chose to just let Martial Art enter the ring and that is significant.
Steadfast Warrior is an interesting runner and for many reasons but not the least being he just missed gaining a start in the Derby then lined up last start at a distance I felt was too short for his specifically timed preparation.
Cliff Brown of course prepared the winner Clint and spoke glowingly pre-Derby about the way Steadfast Warrior had improved dramatically to be a legitimate contender.
The 2000m tonight will see the real ringcraft of Steadfast Warrior, already a winner at the trip and up to 2200m, plus the 51.5kg allotted is very appealing for bettors that win of weight drops.
The 2200m win by Steadfast Warrior in February this year is very relevant as he won by a length in quick time over a form rival again in Hint.
He received 4kg from Hint and tonight will have just a 1.5kg pull but that could well still be enough for him to produce the same result, as he is a better and stronger horse now.
Olivier Placais will ride Steadfast Warrior for the first time and his flamboyant French whipping style and strength from so far out will see a wake up call of serious intent.
It could be what Steadfast Warrior needs to bring his stamina to the fore and continue the Cliff Brown gift of being able to score so many TKO's at 2000m or further from his stable.
Hint is too genuine to leave out of your multiples tonight and dropping down to 53kg will attract plenty of extra support for the Steve Burridge trained five-year-old, which is an already heavily backed horse each time it lines up.
In his last eight starts (all on the turf) Hint has only failed once to not win or place and trifecta bettors must adore this galloper.
He will be coming back from a last start second at 2400m to the 2000m here, which is always a drop back factor that warrants consideration but it actually comes with benefits tonight.
Hint was beaten less than a length last start by a rival again in King Faalcon, which gave him 1.5kg and the 2400m suited that runner much better too.
Tonight we see Hint get 4kg from King Faalcon and the 2000m is much more in his favour, so it is an automatic two scoring blows landed already.
King Faalcon has too good a record on the turf over middle distances or further and can carry big imposts but the real fact that leaps at you is when Vlad Duric sits atop.
Duric in eight rides on King Faalcon has won four times, so he either wins or misses fifty per cent of the time on the stayer and considering it has won seven races lifetime then the right man is aboard tonight.
South Easter is by the sire headline grabber of the moment in Galileo and the Pat Shaw trained gelding did run a nice race freshened up at 1400m behind the gifted Gingerbread Man last start.
The horse goes good second up, so the 600m leap is not a concern with him, although the 58kg may be an issue depending on the tempo.
South Easter is not a big horse, so when carrying big weights he is lethal when against opposition that is below his division but vulnerable once against some serious heavy hitters.
The in form Barend Vorster rode South Easter in trial earlier this week into a nice second behind Drovetti and will pilot the horse tonight.
I do see a Benchmark 89, as it is this evening, as being within the purse grade of South Easter and any weaknesses in the armour of the opposition will be found out by this one, whether that be in sudden tempo changes or pressure coming from a long way out.
The other two runners in the field are either out of form or yet to find it this time in, with Silver Element at his best a proven turf stayer and at 50kg a chance of a surprise knockout.
Happiness Come has won third up and the turf will not be a factor but is yet to score at 2000m in Singapore and in fact has only attempted further than 1900m once.
Ironically in that sole 2200m attempt he finished fifth and the deadheat for first saw one of the two victors be none other than Silver Element, which is a good perspective guide here between the two.
Martial Art looks the K1 winner tonight, with the top rider aboard, though the 4kg weight pull of Steadfast Warrior really does warrant a wager as the one most likely to emerge victorious.
Enjoy the seventh race on the card tonight, where the two four-year-old fighters are sure to put on a show.
