A narrow defeat resuming for the dual G1 winning mare Better Life should not deter backers from doubling up tonight on her in the feature event.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Better Life under the WFA scale looks superbly situated in Race Seven, the S$350K Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000m on the short course B turf track.
The wee four-year-old mare gets 1.5kg from all other rivals and the Hideyuki Takaoka trained and Alan Munro ridden looks the winner whatever way you dissect the race.
Her fresh up close third in the G3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase over 1800m saw a rival again this evening in Ready To Strike win the race in a driving finish.
The mare carried half a kilo more then and tonight with the age and sex relief will get a tasty swing of 2kg for a half length defeat.
Bettors would take that every time and let it ride.
Better Life has in a second up state from two outings won and placed so this is a strike zone for the daughter of Smarty Jones.
I did notice when resuming she had not grown one iota and in fact the mare looked smaller, which was partially proven by her weight of 465kg being the second equal lightest of her career.
It did show however that Takaoka had her very fit and the groundwork and build up had been thorough.
A lack of size is going to count against her in bigger fields when intimidation and bullying during the race happens, as she is not physically big enough to push others out of the way.
The mare however is all class and can sustain a long and strong finish plus she also has that ability to ping in middle distance events
I cannot see the mare beaten on up to a dead track but if the rains came and hung around then she would be in unknown territory on a testing wet turf track.
Until you know you do not know.
The irony of a small mare being the one to fear is that her biggest danger is in fact a smaller fella and crowd favourite called Flax.
When he is dripping wet Flax is barely heavier than the scales used to weigh him but as in Better Life it is not what is on the outside that counts.
Flax is very brave and no one can question he gives his all each and every time.
David Hill trains and as usual Jose Verenzuela rides the six-time winner in Singapore from thirteen starts.
I like the constant gameplan shown with Flax as he finished third in this race last year when second up so Hill is following a tried and true campaign.
No need to fix something that is not broken.
The fresh up second by Flax in a fast run Better Than Ever Stakes over 1400m was very courageous under 57kg with the winner The Comedian a massive horse carrying 6kg less.
Three times has Flax been presented in a second up state for a win, a G2 placing and a G1 fourth.
He is a turf performer through and through plus for those weather wagerers is adept on wet ground with his lack of size actually helping in testing underfoot conditions.
Over the 2000m he has tried it three times two placings (for a third in the G1 Singapore International Cup to Chinchon) and a third in this G2 race last year while his miss came in the 2011 Singapore Derby behind Clint.
The winner of the QE II Cup last year was Waikato for trainer Laurie Laxon with Joao Moreira riding and it was the last success of the now retired money making longevity machine.
Waikato had ten more starts after winning this and did not salute again but placed three more times at either G2 or G3.
Laxon would have been sad to see Waikato go but he always has ammunition in the ranks and plenty coming through the grades though to find another like that marvel is near impossible.
He has two runners this evening with Ready To Strike to be ridden by Joao Moreira and the Derby aspirant Martin to be handled by Danny Beasley.
It is hard to knock the toughness of Ready To Strike and he will be able to carry the 58kg being so strong and has lumped more to win before.
Whether he can do it at G2 under WFA is another matter as this is the highest calibre race he has run in with G3 his greatest success so far.
Martin won his only try at 2000m and beat the well performed Lizarre in the process at G3 although he got 4kg from that Pat Shaw prepared runner.
Some key facts about Martin are he can swim (two wins and a placing from three outings on wet ground) and is very consistent with fives wins and five placings in his thirteen starts.
He never goes a poor race and Laxon knows he has an eye of the tiger type here.
It was hard to miss Martin stomping home fast and late down the outer last start for seventh in the Better Than Ever that Flax finished runner up in.
Under the WFA scale you want proven commodities and the other pair you need to factor in your multiples are Deep Pockets and Nandowra.
You know how they run regarding their racing patterns and what level they are capable of being trifecta players in so must be included.
Deep Pockets placed at his only 2000m attempt so far and it came in the G1 Singapore Derby albeit distant behind the devastating Chase Me.
He has placed at 2200m as well when third in the Singapore Gold Cup behind Better Life but got 4.5kg from the mare and tonight gives her 1.5kg.
Hard to believe he can overcome a 6kg swing considering he has not won a race since June of last year.
Nandowra likes to race in or near the lead and the big horse can dig deep in a brawl over the closing stages.
In two starts at 2000m he has finished fourth at G3 under 57kg behind Martin and a distant sixth in the G1 Singapore Derby behind Chase Me though everything was gapped by the winner that evening.
Manoel Nunes rides and he is going well atop Team Freedman runners with a win and a fourth on this horse in two rides so far.
Better Life and Flax are the two smallest runners in the feature race tonight but this is the pair expected to stand tall at the finish with the mare clearly on top.
She has met Flax twice for two wins, where he has finished fourth and ninth respectively carrying 2kg more each time, so with the weight gap down to just 1.5kg tonight it looks like her hat-trick.
Enjoy what is a royally recognized feature race name in several other racing jurisdictions this weekend too.
