Trainer Steven Burridge will be racking up the frequent flyer miles in the coming months.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Noted for his enthusiasm in travelling horses, Burridge recently won the Group 1 Yang Di Pertua Negeri Gold Cup in Penang with Hint and is returning to the Dubai World Cup Carnival, a series of meetings in the lead-up to the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 30.
Burridge took a team of four horses to Dubai last year, collecting four wins from three individual horses and this year has three gallopers from Singapore and one newcomer from Ireland about to begin their campaigns.
Jockey Stephen Baster and Burridge will fly to Dubai as Benji’s Empire and Freezemaster line-up on January 10 while the following week Devil’s Cut and the Irish galloper Tiger Stripes will do battle.
In the capable hands of Mick Lockett, who travelled to Dubai with Burridge’s team last year, the trio of Singapore gallopers departed on December 20, three weeks before the first horses are due to race.
Burridge said Benji’s Empire would be entered for two races on January 10, with a preference for a 1000m race while Freezemaster would line-up over 1400m.
Both gallopers will then have another run towards the end of January after which a decision will be made whether to return to Singapore or to stick around a bit longer.
Devil’s Cut is due to make his debut in Dubai over 1200m on January 17 with Tiger Stripes also due to line-up that day.
Tiger Stripes is an interesting galloper. He’s is a Northern Hemisphere bred three-year-old by Tiger Hill that will make his way to Singapore following his Dubai campaign.
A maiden after five starts with three placings to his credit, Tiger Stripes has been Group placed in two-year-old company at the Curragh in Ireland.
Burridge took Dark Matter to Dubai last year to contest the three-year-old races but as a Southern Hemisphere bred galloper he was badly off at the weights compared to his Northern Hemisphere bred counterparts.
Burridge said Lockett had reported the three Singapore horses had settled in well while Tiger Stripes was coming along soundly.
“Hopefully they are suitable races that we have them in but it is hard to say before the handicaps come out,” said Burridge.
“They have gone over there fit and well and hopefully they have the right rating to be competitive against the horses they will be racing against.
“We’ll give them their opportunity over there but if they don’t perform then we’ll bring them back home, otherwise they can stay on a bit longer.
“We had a bit of luck over there last year and we thought it was worthwhile having another go again.”
Benji’s Empire hasn’t started since running second over 1400m on November 23 while Freezemaster and Devil’s Cut both last raced on December 16 with Freezemaster finishing ninth over 1200m while Devil’s Cut made it three wins from five starts with victory over 1200m.
Meanwhile Burridge’s consistent sprinter Captain Obvious showed he was ready for a return to racing with a barrier trial victory on Thursday morning.
Captain Obvious was nominated to run in an Open Class race on New Year’s Day but Burridge said the gelding had a “couple of little issues” and decided to bypass the race.
He said providing he comes through Thursday’s trial in good order he would look at running in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A over 1200m on the Polytrack on January 13.
