Fresh from a winning treble last Sunday trainer John O’Hara will be looking to keep his winning run going at Kranji on Friday night.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
O’Hara had his most successful day of training when saddling three winners – Pegasus Victory, Rough Dance and Guided Light – on last Sunday’s 11 race card.
It was the first time he had prepared three winners in an afternoon since being granted his Trainer’s Licence in September 2009 although he had achieved a similar feat over a weekend of racing at Kranji previously.
At Kranji on Friday night O’Hara will be saddling up the in-form New Zealand-bred mare Makkura in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A over 1000m where she will be opposed to the likes of smart sprinters Mr Big, Yin Xin, Goal Keeper and Masthead, to name just a few.
Makkura faces a big rise in class on Friday night as she will be jumping from a Kranji Stakes C victory over 1000m on October 26.
On that occasion carrying the steadier of 58kg under Joao Moreira, Makkura scored by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Shaolin Soldier.
This time around Greg Cheyne, who has three previous victories aboard Makkura, resumes his association with the mare who will be dropping down to 50.5kg in the handicap.
“She’s a last start winner and has trained on well,” said O’Hara. “She’s racing over 1000m again but this time it is a lot tougher.
“She is meeting some very good sprinters. Mr Big, Yin Xin and Goal Keeper are all very good horses.
“She has a rating of 77 and is up against Mr Big that has a rating of 113. Even though she is getting 9kg off him in the handicap he has deserved his rating and we are still working up to ours.
“She goes into the race in good form and hopefully she will make a good race of it off her lightweight.”
O’Hara is enjoying his best season since being granted his Trainer’s Licence in 2009 and has racked up 34 winners in 2012, placing him in 13th position on the Trainer’s Premiership Table.
This follows 13 victories in 2010 and 20 wins in 2011.
“I’ve just been chipping away at it and building up slowly,” said O’Hara. “I’ve been making steady progress ever since I got my licence and this year has been good so far.
“The horses are at their right level and they are in their right cycle at the moment.
“You need a lot of luck in racing and currently my luck is in. Everything worked out well for me last Sunday and the stable had a treble.
“I’m just hoping the luck can keep going for a little while longer and we can get a few more winners before the end of the year.”
