The training career of Leticia Dragon has started of quicker than a series of Bruce Lee martial art moves and looks set to continue tonight.
She has had two winners from just six starters and a S$75K Kranji Stakes C could well be added to the coffers as South Gate does a look the one to beat in Race Five drawn the ace.
South Gate will have Joao Moreira aboard and on the turf the team looks a lock.
The last start close up fifth on the poly by South Gate was for an apprentice and a senior rider may well have got him home, as he was never quite near enough or positioned properly in the running.
Moreira has been aboard five times for two wins and two placings and a sixth at G1 behind Gingerbread Man.
The record on turf for South Gate is also two wins and as many placings, with a Benchmark 83 third over 1400m behind The Comedian and Clear For Action in September a good form reference to win tonight.
Bettors may see the mile as a query for the 4yo gelding but he has not had much go his way at all in three attempts at the trip.
There are three races on the card this evening for S$75K and all are very good clashes that while not big in numbers they do contain ample talent.
The inside on the turf, as long as the rains do not come and keep falling, is more often than not the shortest way home and also the fastest lane.
I see South Gate as a clear cut winner in what may be a tactical event both tempo wise and knowing when to take off.
The danger is the class turf performer and powerhouse closer Silveron Wings, which after a 3kg claim by Willy Tan will carry 56.5kg or the same impost as South Gate.
Silveron Wings has never won for an apprentice and being a natural backrunner it is all about tempo up front, as he can boom home of a slow pace to place but can fair fly to win if the pace has been hot.
He has won five races and placed in stronger fields than what he meets here including a last start second to the G2 winner Jamal Malik.
In that race he carried 3kg more and beat home a rival again tonight in Thundering Jet by eight lengths.
This evening Silveron Wings will give Thundering Jet, which I rate as third choice in the event, half a kilo so the tables cannot possible be turned in a fair dinkum run race.
Silveron Wings looked ready in a recent unplaced trial that contained several serious open class sprinters and a few headed there.
Thundering Jet won a recent trial as though trainer Pat Shaw had him back ready to roar and this gelding only has the one win since coming to Singapore although it did come at G2.
His five career wins (four in South Africa) all came on the turf.
This will be just the second time an apprentice has ridden Thundering Jet so Shaw has seen an opportune race and reacted accordingly.
He has another in the field due to show some form called Marcusino, which is like Thundering Jet raced by the Rocket Man man in Fred Crabbia.
Barend Vorster went with this runner intriguingly and the recent barrier rogue is rising 400m here second up and climbing in class too.
Whether he can run the mile will be interesting as will how he loads then leaves the stalls.
The tempo in the field may well end up with the turf proven stayer Maraeti but I would not be surprised if something unexpected took up the pace or at least kept the leader honest.
South Gate should stalk the pace no matter how controlled or chaotic it may be and once eased out into clear air it should be a case of thanks for coming.
The surge of Silveron Wings will be the late threat and this pair does stand out as the quinella of the night.
Enjoy the race.
