Trainer Michael Clements was a little taken aback when he saw the nominations for the penultimate Leg of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series on Sunday, but certainly had no reason to complain.
Clements’ Funkadelic is among nine unraced two-year-olds lining up in the $90,000 Inglis Ready2Race Stakes 2016 Open (1200m). Only four entries had faced the starter before and it was at only one run, and they all finished out of the placings with I’ve Got A Feeling the best finisher in fourth place in a non-2YO race (Restricted Maiden).
With so much unexposed form, picking a winner is pretty much left to hazarding a guess, but trainers like Clements don’t mind not having proven performers to beat. Previous Leg winners such as Jupiter Gold (1st and 3rd) and Macarthur (4th) are obviously skipping the fifth Leg to save their best for last, the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on July 8.
“Funkadelic will have his first start in the 2YO race on Sunday. I was surprised to see there were no winners in the race, they’re all inexperienced, which put all of us on level terms,” said Clements.
“My horse was not finishing off the way I wanted at first. I gave him a few more trials and he was a lot better at his last trial (June 9).
“Vlad got him to sit off the speed and he ran on very well for third to the winner (Western Towkay). Vlad is unfortunately suspended for two days and won’t be able to ride him on Sunday.
“Shafiq Rizuan will ride him instead and today he rode him in the trials. Again, he ran on quite well after dropping back early.”
Raced by the Rising Star Stable, Funkadelic, a Hussonet colt sold for $65,000 to Clements at the Inglis 2015 The Star Ready2Race Sale, will be his only Sunday runner along with cellar dweller Born A Fighter, but the Zimbabwean-born handler will be a lot busier on Friday night with seven entries, including resuming sprinter Italian Job in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1100m.
“Italian Job had a few leg and hoof issues. I gave him a break and he’s come back in good order,” he said.
“He trialled good two weeks ago (close second to Majestic Moments, who went on to run a cracking second to Well Done in Sunday’s Group 1 Patron’s Bowl) and he goes well fresh.”
Previously trained by David Kok for whom he won four of his five wins, the US-bred six-year-old by Saint Anddan nearly scored at his first run for Clements, coming after a 10-month layoff, collared late by Olympic Anthem.
“It’s a big field and hopefully he can draw a good barrier,” said Clements of the noted on-pace runner’s chances on Friday.
“He had a good gallop on Track 2 today. Corey Brown will ride him as, again, Vlad is suspended.
“Fingers crossed, he can run a good race.”
Italian Job was ridden at his two recent barrier trials by Duric, who currently lies in second place two wins behind Manoel Nunes in the standings and who will, however, sit out this weekend’s racing after he copped a suspension for careless riding aboard Millennium’s Rule in a race on June 3.
Italian Job scored only one win for Clements at his third run for him on October 11 in an Open Benchmark 97 race over 1000m when ridden by his apprentice jockey Kif Toh. The Singaporean rider said he has been riding the gelding in trackwork but had to safeguard his job aboard Sebas in the same race on Friday.
“Italian Job felt good. He pulled a little as he is quite fresh, but my ride in that race will be Sebas,” said Toh whose seven wins this season have all come for his master, bar two aboard the Theo Kieser-trained speedster.
“My boss understands I have to stay on Sebas, as I already have a good partnership with this horse. For that, I have to thank Mr Kieser and the owner Mr Ronnie Too for their support.
“The horse has maintained his condition since his last win (all-the-way in a Kranji Stakes B race over 1000m). My only worry is he is more of a 1000m horse.
“His only chance is to get a good draw and he can get a soft lead in front. He is a hard puller and if someone bothers him in the race, he is gone.
“Anyway, Lincoln Road (unbeaten in five runs) is to me the horse to beat even if he is up in class.”
