Singapore Gold Cup winner Cooptado will bid farewell to Kranji in the $200,000 Group 3 Fortune Bowl (1600m) this Sunday.
The Equal Stripes six-year-old gave South African trainer Patrick Shaw his third success in the time-honoured race over 2200m in 2015, and champion apprentice jockey Shafiq Rizuan his first Gold Cup glory. Interestingly, it was to be the only win recorded by the Russian-owned Argentinian-bred stayer in 19 starts in Singapore.
There were the odd good runs since, like his second place to Laughing Gravy in last year’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) or a third place to eventual Dester Singapore Gold Cup winner Bahana in an Open Benchmark 89 race over 2000m in October.
But by and large, the runs had fallen short of that pinnacle of his relatively brief racing career in Singapore for one main reason – not enough staying races.
“Cooptado will run his last race this Sunday before he continues his career in Dubai. He will race under another trainer’s name,” said trainer Ricardo Le Grange who officially took over the semi-retired Shaw last December.
“He’s had just the one run for me in the New Year Cup. Olivier Placais was meant to ride him but was stood down through dehydration.
“My apprentice (Mohd) Firdaus rode him and he didn’t run a bad race. He ran on quite well (fifth to Guru-Guru).
“My job was just to keep him in full work until he leaves. The 1600m is again too short for him, and that’s why the owners have decided to send him to Dubai where there are more long distance races for him there.”
Red Stable’s Evgeny Kappushev and Valentin Bukhtoyarov are prominent owners in Dubai and Europe, but Cooptado remains the only horse they have raced in Singapore, though they did saddle Limario with leading Dubai trainer Doug Watson in the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) in 2014, finishing eighth to Dan Excel.
As a matter of fact, Cooptado was himself prepared by Watson in Dubai and was the Russians’ second attempt at SIA Cup glory in 2015, but were again defeated by Dan Excel. Cooptado was then moved to Shaw to continue his career at Kranji, and has now come full circle with his imminent permanent return to Dubai.
While Le Grange is hoping Cooptado, whose one Gold Cup win boosted his takings past the $1 million mark, can end his career on a good note under Placais at his Kranji swansong in the Fortune Bowl, he has also nominated four more horses in the traditional Chinese New Year race which has been shortened from 2000m to 1600m this year.
“It’s a race that has brought luck to Pat. We won it four times, twice when it was run over 1600m and known as the Singapore Derby Trial and twice when it was a 2000m race,” said Shaw’s former right-hand man for 15 years at Kranji.
“It’s been dropped back to 1600m this year, which does not suit horses like Cooptado, but also Perfect P and Big Brother (he also nominated Time Odyssey and Mr Fantastic) but we have to make do with the cards we’re dealt.
“Big Brother has had a great prep and won a trial last Thursday. His gallop this morning was also very good and Nooresh (Juglall) will ride him on Sunday.
“I think Perfect P probably went through that second run after a layoff syndrome. He was also a little interfered with at the top of the straight in the New Year Cup when he got bumped with Big Brother and got held up.
“The mile is a bit short for Perfect P. Similarly, I think it’s the minimum distance for Big Brother.”
Barend Vorster jumps back on Perfect P, a horse he after all partnered to two wins early in his career while Time Odyssey will get a new pilot on board, Glen Boss.
“The pace didn’t suit Time Odyssey in the New Year Cup when he was taken on,” said Le Grange.
“I think you can forget that run and he should be in with a shout this Sunday. He also trialled well and galloped well.
“Glen Boss has not ridden him yet, but I’m sure he’ll give him a good ride.”
Meanwhile, with six winners already under the belt, Le Grange was happy with the way his team has come along under his new stewardship.
“We’ve had a great start and I can’t complain. Obviously, we can’t win them all but in general, the horses have been running well,” said Le Grange.
“Today, I had two horses who have yet to race for me, who trialled – The Nutcracker and Cyborg – and they both went good.”
The Nutcracker (Juglall) ran a close second to Lightning Fast (Wong Chin Chuen) n Trial No 3 while Cyborg (Vorster) was just under two lengths behind in fifth place. Both are lightly-raced and have not been seen for at least six months.
“We discovered The Nutcracker had an abscess in his lungs after a gallop. He had to be on a long course of antibiotics and nebuliser, and thankfully, it’s all behind him now,” said Le Grange about the first-up win by the grey in a 1000m speed dash for the Jubilant Racing Stable in October 2015, but who has somehow struggled with his form thereafter.
“I may look at the Merlion Trophy (March 5) for him, but there’s also an Open Benchmark 97 race over 1000m on February 5.
“Cyborg was away for six months because of injury. He’s a very good horse (three wins in five starts last year) and I was happy with the way he has come back.”
