The Korea Racing Authority Trophy option was ruled out, but there is still a remote possibility of a Korean connection left for smart Polytrack sprinter Siam Sapphire.
The Showcasing four-year-old is resuming from a four-month layoff in Friday’s $100,000 Class 2 race over 1000m, but assistant-trainer Michael ‘Chopsy’ White said the yard did consider an even earlier racing comeback for the five-time winner (all Polytrack) in the KRA Trophy (1200m) on July 22.
With the reciprocal race between the Singapore Turf Club and the KRA being benchmarked at 95 and run at set weights of 57.5kgs, trainer Michael Clements in the end decided against entering the 81-point rater.
True to form, the race was easily won by the highest-rated horse in the field, Skywalk (95 points) who ran 1-2 with the second-highest rated horse, Rafaello (94 points). Korean contenders also pulled off their best performances in the annual race (which was at his fourth renewal) with a third place from Today and a fifth place from Approach.
Clements went for Friday’s event instead as a softer approach for Siam Sapphire, even if the trip might be on the sharp side for the Pupetch Racing Stable-owned gelding.
If Siam Sapphire runs a blinder, White said the Korean return leg of the KRA Trophy, the 700 million won (around $850,000) Group 1 Keeneland Korea Sprint (1200m) in Seoul on September 9 might be an option worth looking at, even if a tad ambitious.
Clements has already nominated Song To The Moon for the main event, the 1 billion won Group 1 Keeneland Korea Cup (1800m).
“Siam Sapphire had a nice break and has come back in good shape. We toyed with the idea of running him in the KRA Trophy for a while, but changed our mind in the end,” said White.
“He wouldn’t be suited as he would have carried the same weight as higher-rated horses. It’s good that the other Class 2 race came up and we went with the easier option instead.”
Carrying only 54kgs, Siam Sapphire will be in receipt of 3.5kgs from horses like Autumn Rush and Spanish Bay, while others like White Hunter, Al Green and Tales Of Summer are not exactly the most fearsome Class 2 horses going around.
Racing fitness looks to have been taken care of with three barrier trials under the belt, with the last one pleasing White no end.
Not the quickest out of the gates, Siam Sapphire was bustled up by champion jockey Vlad Duric to stay in contact with the leading bunch, hugging the rails right through to run fifth, around two lengths off the winner Captain Jamie (Nooresh Juglall).
“He has been trialling a fair bit since he came back, and he trialled very well last Thursday,” said White.
“The 1000m is short of his best. He would have preferred 1200m on Polytrack.
“But he’s in good shape. If he runs well, the sprint race in Korea might be a possible option, who knows. He’s a Polytrack horse and the sand there may suit him.”
It’s Wong Chin Chuen who takes the ride on Siam Sapphire on Friday. The two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey won’t be at his first pairing as he rode him in a barrier trial on July 11 when second to Cadet, and he also rode him in a race early doors when then prepared by James Peters, running out of the placings in a Class 4 race over 1200m on turf last year in January.
“CC rode him in a barrier trial three weeks ago. He deserves to have a chance on him,” said White.
“There are some pretty good horses in that race, but it’s still an easier option. He loves the Poly and he may just go well fresh.”
