Trainer Cliff Brown is keeping an open mind as he brings the classy Elite Excalibur back to racing in the $200,000 Group 3 Moonbeam Vase (1600m) on Sunday.
Regarded by many as the leading local hope in the Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) in May, the son of Fastnet Rock never justified that lofty tag in the new glamour event chosen to replace the now-defunct Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) in the foreseeable future.
Springboarding off a first Group success in the Group 3 Committee’s Prize (1600m) and a fast-finishing third to Circuit Land in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) as his lead-up runs, Elite Excalibur was, however, a shadow of himself in the Kranji Mile.
Already a beaten horse by the home turn, he plodded home among the also-rans, a fair way behind the formidable Hong Kong duo of Southern Legend (1st) and Horse Of Fortune (2nd).
But Brown said the former Sydney-based Coolmore three-time winner (when known as River Wild and prepared by Gai Waterhouse) and worthy Group 1 runner (fourth in the Australian Guineas at Flemington in 2016) had one valid excuse – the soft underfoot conditions.
“He hates the wet track. He had two failings on the wet track since he’s been here,” said the Australian mentor.
“He just cannot get out of his own way when the track is wet.”
Indeed, in 11 starts at Kranji, Elite Excalibur ran twice on a yielding track, and went ordinary. By coincidence, they both came in the Kranji Mile, albeit in two different formats of the Group 1 race.
The latest one was of course in the newly-revamped Invitational Group 1 Kranji Mile while the first one was a ninth place to Infantry in the older version last year, the Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile, then slated for the last time as the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series.
While Brown will be praying the skies stay blue right through the weekend, he could not fault the Elite Performance Stable-owned galloper’s condition at his return from a three-month layoff.
“He’s all good. All seems to be fine with him, we’ll see how he goes on Sunday,” he said.
“I’ve long made the Moonbeam Vase his comeback race; that was always the plan. He has come through his prep really well.
“He had his last gallop yesterday. He is not a flash worker and doesn’t tell us a lot on the training tracks, but he seems well within himself.”
As regular partner Michael Rodd is currently suspended, Brown has engaged Kiwi jockey Craig Grylls to warm up the saddle on Elite Excalibur before the bigger races come up in the last three months of the season – the Singapore Triple Crown series.
With the major overhaul in feature races this year, the Triple Crown now kicks off with the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) – formerly the second Leg and run over 1800m - on September 23, followed by the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) on October 21 and the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) on November 11. The Gold Cup remains the traditional grand final but has been shortened from 2200m to 2000m.
“This is his first race back. Let’s see how he goes, and we will then gear him up towards the bigger races (Triple Crown),” said Brown.
