Two from two Polytrack wins in the lesser divisions may hardly spell ground-breaking stuff, but such a record has still given Reach For The Sun and connections a bright start at Kranji.
The former Melbourne-based three-year-old is the first Singapore galloper to be raced by Hong Kong businessman Cheng Ting Kong, one of Macau’s biggest racehorse owners and popularly known as the “Sunshine” owner due to most of his 40-odd horses bearing the Sunshine prefix.
Last year, Cheng made further headlines when he spreaded his wings to Australia with the acquisition of the famous Eliza Park stud, under the banner of Sun International, an investment group involved in hotels and resorts.
The growth of Cheng’s breeding and racing empire has not quite been hailed as the dawn of a new era yet, but a few rays of Sun have already peeked through, mainly in Australia.
Last year, Cheng enjoyed the distinction of having a runner in the Melbourne Cup with Irish import Voleuse De Coeurs, who, however, finished unplaced and could not do any better at three other raids at Group 1 level.
Cheng was more successful with two-year-old Fighting Sun, unbeaten in two starts for Australia’s premier trainer Gai Waterhouse and was at one stage even second favourite for the Golden Slipper, but he has unfortunately gone amiss.
Singapore is one of the new blips on the radar screen. Whether Reach For The Sun is the harbinger to a new Sun outpost in Asia remains to be seen, but Kranji trainer Desmond Koh was not complaining he was the recipient of such a useful sort.
Placed six times from as many starts in Victoria when under the care of one of Australia’s favourite sons, Patrick Payne, former top jockey turned trainer, the son of California Dane won easily first-up at Kranji in an Initiation 1000m race on June 13, before paying another visit to the winner’s circle three weeks later, albeit in less dominant fashion in a Class 4 race over 1200m.
“He’s done a good job for us so far – two wins from as many starts. Can’t complain,” said Koh who saddles the gelding to his third start in the $60,000 Open Benchmark 67 race over 1200m on Friday night.
“We thought he would find each race a bit of a challenge, but he’s answered the question very well every time.
“It’s the same thing this Friday. He faces an even stronger field, but we can only pray he again does us fairness.”
Reach For The Sun will again be ridden by his regular partner, Singapore’s leading jockey Manoel Nunes, for whom he brought up his famous six-timer on July 4. The former six-time Macau champion jockey was not picked by coincidence for the ride as he has often teamed up with Cheng for several wins in the former Portuguese enclave, none more famous than Sunshine Sure Win winning the Macau Guineas-Derby double in 2009, the first two legs of Macau’s Triple Crown.
“Nunes knows him very well. The horse has a small weight (53.5kg) and with a bit of luck, I hope he can make it three in a row,” said Koh.
“We’ll see how he pulls up. He’s going well at the moment, and at some stage, he will go over 1400m, which to me is his best distance.”
