Former Longines Singapore Gold Cup winner Risky Business makes his return to racing after an injury enforced lay-off in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A over 1400m on the turf course on Sunday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Risky Business is one of three runners that trainer Steven Burridge has engaged in the race.
Joining Risky Business, to be ridden by apprentice Wong Wei Xiang, will be Black Ice (Matthew Kellady) and El Padrino (Oscar Chavez).
Risky Business, the 2010 Gold Cup winner, hasn’t raced since finishing eighth behind El Dorado in the 2011 edition.
Shortly after Risky Business injured the fetlock joint to his nearside foreleg which required him spending six months on the sidelines.
Burridge said with a lack of suitable races coming up for Risky Business for the remainder of the year he wanted the former Gold Cup winner to get a run under the belt before the new season begins.
“I would have liked to have had him back earlier but we decided to give him a bit more time off to get over his injury,” said Burridge.
“We have given him a long and steady build-up for his return to racing and he hasn’t had an official trial.
“We gave him a jump out from the barriers down the back straight over 1000m last Saturday (November 17) to sharpen him up a bit.
“He hasn’t given us any problems since he’s been back in work and we’ll just see how he runs on Sunday before deciding what to do with him next.”
Risky Business has been winless in Singapore since his 2010 Gold Cup success but did win the Malaysian Group 1 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor over 2000m in Kuala Lumpur in June last year.
With Risky Business making a comeback from injury, stablemate Black Ice is also on the comeback trail from a stint on the sidelines.
Black Ice hasn’t been seen since beating one to the line behind Chase Me in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy over 1800m in July.
Burridge described Black Ice as a “cripple” following his first-up win last April and said the gelding, who has loads of talent, has to be treated with kid gloves to get him to the racetrack.
“He’s got so much ability but he can’t be trained the way you would like,” said Burridge.
“After his last run a couple of his old problems came back and we just had to stop him,” said Burridge.
“He seems to be OK now and like Risky Business we need to get a run into him before the end of the year.
“Matt does all the work on him and he rides him well, so he’ll take the ride.”
With his other runner, El Padrino, Burridge is hoping for fine weather.
El Padrino was sent out a $12 favourite at his last start on October 21, but finished sixth behind Benji’s Empire on a soft rated track over 1400m.
“He just didn’t go a yard on the soft track last time,” said Burridge. “Hopefully we’ll get better conditions on Sunday.
“He came out of that race well and has trained on well.”
