The field for the feature G3 mile event on the card today at Kranji is a tremendous betting race and the Singapore Turf Club should be justly proud.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Several stars from the Derby including the impressive winner Clint will run in the S$200K G3 Committee's Prize (1600m) along with an almost unbeaten and impossible to miss grey in Arowana Dot Com.
It is impossible to not put on a pedestal the 2011 G1 Emirates Singapore Derby form, whether the runners be fresh up or have had the benefit of some racing since because it was a such a strong line up and strongly run race this year.
We have four of the Derby field running today in the feature mile with the winner Clint and seventh placed finisher Fatkid resuming, while Flying Fulton and Jamal Malik have each had an outing.
That quartet of now five-year-olds will meet a four-year-old in cracking form called Arowana Dot Com that loves the turf but is deep-ended here taking on G3 and the mile for the first time.
Joao Moreira trialled Arowana Dot Com recently into third behind Rocket Man (yes that same rock star) and he attracts a wagering following like a money-magnet but he will have to produce a blinder from gate thirteen.
The ability of the slightly built grey is not in doubt, as he has an enormous will to win and loves the turf of Kranji.
It is the sudden distance jump to the mile for the first time on top of tackling a grand G3 field that is the big question mark for the gelding.
Moreira will be back from riding at Rosehill the day before (he will be called Aussie Joao shortly) and importantly won on Arowana Dot Com the only time he has ridden it because it came over 1400m.
It showed the inexperienced and untapped gelding could step up to 1400m plus overcome an awkward draw although today will be the first time the equal youngest runner in the field will have seen a double-digit barrier.
Flying Fulton was a super fourth in the Derby and only lost third very late, with it safe to say the big bay has surpassed all of trainer Mark Walker's expectations since coming to Singapore.
Walker now he knows he has a legitimate Group player at Kranji for the next few seasons at least.
He has raced again since the Derby and ran second to Rocket Man (yes that same rock star) over 1200m on the poly and I liked the way it held second in the run home, when two rivals tried to get past him.
The 400m jump second up is not a concern with Flying Fulton, as he is proven in this state and on the turf.
Do not worry that he has never won at the mile as that is a misleading statistic once you see his record.
In his last four starts he has raced in G1 twice and open or stakes class twice, with three placings and a fourth the results so he is in this mile today thrown in under the handicap conditions at 54kg.
Consider that four starts back he finished third in the G1 Patron's Bowl over a mile behind Speed Baby and Better Than Ever and was beaten less than a length.
That was under the set weight conditions of all having 57kg and he beat home the likes of Clint and Jamal Malik by a length and ten lengths respectively.
Today we see a resuming Clint, which is looking for further and is not rock hard race fit, set to carry 58kg while Flying Fulton will have 4kg less and a luxurious 54kg.
Weight swing bettors will consider this as a licence to print money with Vlad Duric aboard Flying Fulton adding too their confidence, after he rode it to win a trial last week.
Duric hits as hard as George Foreman swatting away flies from his famous grill and nobody can wake up a big horse to concentrate, compete and capture the contest like him, so he does look an ideal riding choice for the big gelding.
Jamal Malik has disappointed at his last three outings it would be fair to say but this proven turf performer cannot be risked here at 56.5kg even though drawn wide.
He was well beaten in the G1 Patron's Bowl and Derby then after a freshen up trialled okay and resumed in the G3 Jumbo Jet (1400m) two weeks ago.
The second last placing was not as bad as it sounds considering he had such a wide trip throughout and the winner Captain Obvious was low flying in front.
A trial win earlier in the week, with importantly Barend Vorster back in the saddle, showed too me that trainer Pat Shaw may have Jamal Malik coming back too his best again.
Vorster gets the best out of the not overly big but typical Argentinian bred gelding and he may pay big overs today.
Shaw won the Committee's Prize in 2005 with Que Expresion and is one of three trainers in the race today to have captured the event before.
Fatkid on his best day is capable of winning, as his record when stepped up to the big time makes good reading and I thought his running on well late in the Derby was a seventh that warranted much more kudos than it got.
He has been given two trials towards resuming here and at 56.5kg bettors should not underestimate him especially when good enough to easily win the G2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) on dead ground under 58kg three starts ago.
Keep Away has to carry 59kg here but do not think for a moment he cannot do it and his last start third in the Jumbo Jet was a ripper, as he found the line late and relished the strong tempo.
The turf and a mile is ideal and gate six gives his rider Olivier Placais many options including racing in or near the pace, which is precisely what this Japanese bred gelding has won a lot of races doing.
He is trained by Hideyuki Takaoka and he won the Committee's Prize in 2006 with Diamond Dust.
Tell A Tale on his best day could cause an upset and will be paying five times more at least than his stablemate Flying Fulton today but do not overlook a proven Group miler at 54.5kg.
He is a natural off pacer so a wide draw actually is of no consequence for him and a strong tempo is what he needs to find the line.
U Got It at 52kg from gate two on turf is a likely leader or on pacer and could give some of these more than a fright.
Benny Woodworth, who won the Committee's Prize aboard Sky Frontier in 2002, will give it every chance to make the step up to G2 as comfortable as possible.
Silveron Wings is the other baby in the field along with Arowana Dot Com and I do like this ferociously fast finishing four-year-old, as he can really unleash a withering finish.
This is a heck of a race to tackle a mile for the first time, as it is also his first foray into a Group race.
He will be the only runner to have an apprentice atop but the 3kg claim at least makes it a feather on his back to fly home upon.
I felt his fresh up fourth over 1400m was a super effort and there is plenty of upside for the gelding this season.
The depth of sprint fields have been incredible and for all to see this year in Singapore but on the evidence of this mile field the closing few months of the year are looking must see racing.
Enjoy this grand G3 and beauty of a betting race.
