In-form trainer Alvin Tan will head to South Korea quietly confident, following the impressive display of El Padrino in the Group 3 Woodlands Handicap on Friday night.
Sent out the warm favourite in the feature event, El Padrino took full advantage of the solid tempo, when peeling to the outside in the straight, working home strongly, saluting comfortably.
Close to six lengths off the leaders when rounding the turn for home, El Padrino returned easily the quickest closing sectionals, and further highlighted his sharp turn of foot.
After disappointing as favourite last start, El Padrino continued his affinity with the polytrack, collecting his fourth victory from nine starts, and second in stakes company.
Rated by Timeform, the third highest victor of the event since 2010, El Padrino's performance was just shy of his career peak, achieved in the 2014 Group 1 Lion City Cup.
Superstar sprinter Rocket Man won the Woodlands Handicap in emphatic fashion in 2010, before Mr Big saluted in 2012.
El Padrino's victory was his second stakes success, and brought up Tan's fifth for the year, after the six-year-old was successful in the Group 3 Merlion Trophy in March.
Superstar galloper, War Affair, collected Tan's other stakes wins, when he made a clean sweep of all three legs of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.
El Padrino is one of three runners from Kranji (together with Trudeau and Speedy Cat) who will represent Singapore at the Asia Challenge Cup in South Korea.
Held at the end of this month, El Padrino, will line up against eight locals and three gallopers from Japan.
It is South Korea’s first international invitation race, and sparks plenty of interest for a jurisdiction moving forward.
Leading market hopes Easy Man and Raise No Doubt, are both forgive runs from the Woodlands Handicap after they were the own worst enemies.
Easy Man set a very solid tempo in front and averaged 11.83 second furlongs for the first 800m —thus he was entitled to weaken in the straight.
Raise No Doubt's performance was similar, though it had more merit, sticking on to finish three lengths off the winner, El Padrino.
His first 800m was only marginally slower than Easy Man (0.03 seconds) and he appeared to race fiercely with the blinkers on for the first time.
Prepared to forgive that performance, and if ridden quieter at his next start — he should be stronger over the concluding stages.
Cliff Brown's new stable addition, Scrat, proved quite impressive on debut, saluting easily in the fifth event on Sunday.
Formerly trained in Australia, the daughter of Jet Spur, made the transition to Singapore off the back of a dominant maiden win at the Sunshine Coast in January.
Previously under the care of Liam Birchley, Scrat had placed in two of her five career starts and is open to further improvement in Singapore.
Given two quiet trials in the lead up, Scrat lived up to her solid market support when she proving too good for her rivals over the 1000m journey.
Taking benefit of the moderate tempo, Scrat travelled strongly entering the straight and when ask to quicken — she raced away from her rivals, under John Powell.
Rated up to her best form on Timeform ratings, Scrat looks to have thrived in her new surroundings and is a mare worth following at her next start.
On predictive ratings, she is expected to improve between four and six pounds, and if placed in suitable company she should prove hard to beat.
The lightly raced Darci Charmer spaced his rivals in the final event, and looks capable of taking the next step for trainer Michael Clements.
Ridden forward to lead under Alan Munro, Darci Charmer was another who benefited from a moderate tempo, when racing away from his rivals in the straight.
Given an easy time in front, the son of Darci Brahma went on to salute by almost five lengths, and recorded a new career peak in the process.
In seven career starts, Darci Charmer has few faults in his form, and looks to be putting it all together now.
His collateral form is also quite strong and is a galloper who is heading in the right direction.
On predictive ratings he has a bit up his sleeve on his last start win, and if placed in suitable company he must be followed closely.
