Trainer Patrick Shaw had every reason to be in a bullish mood after his Dester Singapore Gold Cup foursome hogged the limelight with two rousing hitouts on the turf track at Tuesday’s Kranji trackwork.
The South African handler is bidding for a fourth win in the classic $1.35 million race over 2200m, which he first captured in 2006 with Mr Line before missing out in the next seven years, and finally going back-to-back with Quechua and Cooptado in the last two years.
Shaw, who just turned 60 last week, would love nothing less than a belated birthday present this Sunday. Going with the way the quartet, which was split in two gallops - the two Gold Cup winners Quechua (Barend Vorster) and Cooptado (Olivier Placais) coupled up first, followed by Majestic Moments (Nooresh Juglall) and Time Odyssey (Oscar Chavez) a few minutes later – breezed up under their respective race-riders, there is a good chance he may do just that, even if he respects the opposition hailing from the remaining eight contenders.
“All four are in very good shape and worked very well this morning. I couldn’t be happier with all their respective form,” said Shaw.
“Obviously, from the first pair, Quechua is fresher and fired up a bit more than Cooptado, who has never been a flash worker.
“A bit of rain will help Quechua. His last run in the Raffles Cup (second to Debt Collector) was outstanding, and the 2200m will suit him even better.
“Ignore Cooptado’s last run. He was on an off day and he has come back in good order since then.
“The other pair also worked very well. Majestic Moments is in great form and Time Odyssey’s gallop was very good.
“Majestic Moments’ last run (in Raffles Cup) was a bit disappointing. It’s been a long season, and it looked like he was tired, but this horse is always fit and he has since been working in great order and we had to run him.
“Time Odyssey really surprised me with the way he galloped this morning. It’s going to be a true staying test and from the others, I think Mr Spielberg will be the horse to beat.
“He’s had an ideal prep towards the Gold Cup, and he will be running on late.”
Shaw said he would give his Gold Cup team a last blowout on the Polytrack on Friday morning.
Juglall, who has come agonisingly close to breaking Majestic Moments’ Group hoodoo no fewer than four times this year alone, said he was left disappointed after the Darci Brahma five-year-old beat only one home in the Raffles Cup, but was glad his pet horse has turned the corner since.
“Majestic Moments galloped very well this morning. I didn’t press him in his gallop,” said the Mauritian jockey.
“I thought he would be underdone after that last run, but he impressed me with the way he has turned around. He’s gone for a short break and that seems to have brought him on nicely.
“To me, he is fit enough to win the race. I just hope for luck in the running.
“I think all four of Pat’s horses will get their chance on Sunday.”
The other three jockeys could not fault their Gold Cup rides either, even Placais, who thought he would not sit on Cooptado again, at least not this year, after he bombed out of the Group 3 El Dorado Classic (2200m) on October 30.
“I honestly don’t know what happened. He was not the same horse as at his previous run (when a close third to the same Bahana),” said the French jockey of the Argentinian-bred six-year-old by Equal Stripes.
“He was caught wide in the backstraight and he was gone by the home turn. It’s a race we should just put a line through.
“To me, it was too bad to be true, and as funny as it sounds, I think it’s still better than him running sixth or seventh, because then he would have been beaten fair and square by better horses.
“At least now, we know he has not run to his true ability and he deserves another chance. A good horse like him doesn’t just empty out the way he did.
“I rode him this morning and his action was very fluid, even if we all know he is not exactly a trackworker, but he gave me a response every time I asked him.
“At least we know he can stay, but he just needs to bring his A-game on that day.”
