The 4kg claiming apprentice W L (Willy) Tan will be legged up onto Mr Big in the feature sprint today at Kranji and will be on a very firm favourite.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Mr Big is precocious and fast plus the opposite of his name in that size is not his greatest asset but the motor of the 3yo gelding is an absolute ripper.
It can see him win the S$75K Kranji Stakes C on the poly track over 1000m today.
He has won four of six for the Michael Freedman stable and accumulated some serious earnings already with the promise of so much more to come.
The son of the sire find Elusive Quality has never been ridden by an apprentice but today that will change with Freedman going for the full claim to drop his weight to 54kg.
On the poly track Mr Big has recorded an enormous win over Predictable (2 wins since) and finished second beaten three lengths to the flying Dr Grigoros.
Some of the names that finished behind Mr Big in that Dr Grigoros race warrant mention as third and fourth home were Rapido Star and Won't Stop, with either of them being a top fancy if in today.
Willy Tan has ridden nine winners from sixty mounts since starting riding at Kranji and he will be a force in the apprentice premiership if he stays at such a strike rate.
He will be looking for his tenth winner today in the tenth event that has ten starters.
Barrier three will help rider and horse as the poly flyer Lago Bay from gate two knows only one way to run and at 1000m will be lit up from the outset.
Mr Big may well see early heat coming from a couple of others with one drawn near him in Palombaro and the other from the outside stall in Run To The Hills which will burn when into full stride.
Lago Bay has won six races in Singapore and all have come on the poly and at 1000m.
After a claim he will be more than dangerous at 56.5kg and he may even try to upstage the gun youngsters in Mr Big and Niceone by pouring it on and giving them a speed lesson.
He has to be a win chance after that last start easy win over Palombaro, which he gave 4kg too and a three length thrashing, as today the pair will carry the same impost.
Niceone is a strapping 3yo gelding raced by the aptly named Joy N Happiness syndicate, as they seem to have never ending success and are forever smiling and grinning in sheer delight.
The three wins and a second in four starts makes impressive reading for Niceone and his only defeat came on debut where he ran into a good one in IP Man.
Joao Moreira is aboard again tonight after being atop for the first three starts and at 56.5kg he will have to ride a tactical masterclass from barrier eight.
Niceone has speed and likes to lead or race close but there is so much dash closer in and rivals claiming down galore that it could come down to the jump.
Interestingly the only defeat for Niceone came at 1000m but he may end up a better horse ridden off the pace or at least just handy with cover, so we will find out here.
His trial win in preparation was super late last month and not many defeat Mr Raffles in a speed heat.
Run For The Hills after a stride or two can really hit maximum speed and when he won on the poly four starts ago he blew away Lizarre.
Danny Beasley will ride and he was aboard for the first up win in August when Run For The Hills showed superior and sustained speed.
In these mad dash races over 1000m it is all about the start and whenever you have a flyer from gate two and the young gun from barrier three the first thought should be what is drawn the ace.
Smart General, which can get humming early and has won three on the poly, will get every favour in this if his 1kg claiming apprentice rider can hold the sit on the fence on settling.
We could see a serious time posted in Race Ten and the battle of the babies in Mr Big and Niceone will be must see viewing but also whether the been there and done that Lago Bay can show them up.
It could well end up a brawl between Big and Bay the concluding stages.
Enjoy the sure to be rapidly run race.
