The feature sprint today at Kranji is unusual for a few reasons but most of the intrigue surrounds a certain big grey aiming for his lucky for some thirteenth victory.
Captain Obvious has never won on the Kranji poly and only raced on it once but he has looked awesome on it several times when winning trials.
He will be coming back 300m today from a last start easy win, with the S$125K Kranji Stakes A being over the in between sprint trip of 1100m.
I do not think that will bother Captain Obvious at all and being drawn barrier two you expect a flash of grey early out of the stalls.
For once he will not be topweight and strangely after a 3kg claim is absolutely pitch-forked into the field at 56.5kg.
This is the lightest weight he has carried since coming to Singapore, which is ironic after a G3 win under 58kg and a Kranji Stakes A under 59.5kg last start.
The in form apprentice T H Koh, who rode him last start for the first time, did such a sterling job he is aboard again with the 3kg claim likely to be invaluable.
He seemed to flow along for Koh and trainer Steve Burridge knows how to target a race with a runner alright plus he is a genius with barrier draws.
Burridge has done it again and with just two runners in the field or a quarter of the starters, he has drawn the two inside stalls.
The man is indefatigable and already has a Meydan mission in mind.
Captain Obvious is class and to be carrying just 2.5kg above the lightest weighted runner, which ironically is the stablemate Apache Crown at 54kg after a claim, just makes the grey the play.
Two of his polytrack trial wins stand out, with the big win in September over G1 winning stablemate Speed Baby and a 59.63 seconds romp in August.
A turf outing would have been preferable for Burridge but a poly win can add another entry in the Captain's log.
His very first race in Singapore came on the poly and returned a brave sixth in the G3 Woodlands Handicap under 59kg, where he was beaten three lengths after being wide then keeping the winning leader honest.
The winner was Ato with 9kg less and the third finisher is significant in Merchant, also with that same massive weight pull, as he is a major rival today.
Merchant will carry 56.5kg like Captain Obvious, so you can see why grey is so well situated to get some spending money for Meydan.
In that race he also beat home another rival tonight in Dictator by over two lengths and it too had a 9kg weight pull, with today that gap down to 1.5kg.
Captain Obvious when drawn gate one or two lifetime is four starts for two wins and two placings and today will be his second best barrier in six Singapore starts.
He is the obvious wager whatever way you look at the feature sprint and even if in Meydan mode can still sail away from these.
As I mentioned earlier Merchant is a danger even if at the weights is unlikely to be able to defeat the big grey.
Merchant on the poly is two wins, a second and a third from as many starts and one of those placings was runner up last time to the incomparable Rocket Man, who will get a view of the carpark at Sha Tin today having drawn so wide in the G1 sprint.
Danny Beasley will ride Merchant for the first time and not many will close as swiftly as this duo.
Third behind Rocket Man and Merchant and some two and a half lengths further back was Dictator, a noted poly performer.
He will carry 1.5kg less than Merchant today, which is precisely the gap between the pair last start behind Rocket Man.
Dictator has some very boisterous owners and the latest international jockey to join the riding ranks in Singapore namely Declan McDonogh will ride.
Northern Lion and Powerful Tree are prolific poly performers, with seven and eight wins respectively so far on the all weather track.
They are a chance due to having such poly power but Northern Lion will end up a clear topweight resuming on 58.5kg even after a claim and Powerful Tree gets just 1.5kg relief from Captain Obvious.
The pair are lethal fresh but neither has been under the command of the Captain.
John Powell will ride Powerful Tree for the first time and he does a good job with these catch rides in feature events.
Beasley had ridden the gelding of late but goes with the Cliff Brown trained Merchant.
Apache Crown with the inside barrier can basically try to slipstream his stablemate to the turn and see if he can win for the first time in nine months.
Bionic Boy last won ten months ago and resumes here having won two of his seven successes on the poly.
He has had two trial to prepare and is drawn the coveted gate three or next to the Burridge pair, but is yet to win first up.
McClintock does not look up to winning this even if last start he went a fraction better.
All aboard the Burridge boat and your Captain for the voyage to the betting window to put on and then return to collect will be Obvious.
Enjoy the race/cruise.
