Shaw’s Moment

A capacity field will line up in tonight’s Benchmark 83 handicap over 1400m at Singapore’s Kranji racecourse headed in the weights by Fraajilistic.

While Fraajilisitc will be one of the popular fancies tonight with punters, Timeform adjusted ratings point to the Pat Shaw trained Majestic Moments as has having a slightly better chance.

The recently turned four-year-old has not raced since winning a benchmark 89 race on the polytrack at the end of his three-year-old season defeating older runners in convincing fashion.

However his form generally at three has been strong against the likes of Affleck and Spanish Bay plus he is already a winner at this level over 1400m on the turf back in April defeating the smart Twickenham.

Shaw who has an excellent record with horses resuming from a spell has given Majestic Moments two searching trials coming into tonight’s race – a similar program to the one at the start of his previous campaign when Majestic Moments ran very well fresh.

Nooresh Juglall who has been atop the gelding in all bar one of his 13 race starts retains the mount and from his excellent barrier looks to set to enjoy a cosy run in the race.

In a race rich in winning chances, Fraajilistic and Seed Of Speed look the main dangers although it is not hard to concede chances to Wall Street Boy and Knight Wager.

The Michael Freedman-trained Fraajilistic is another consistent galloper around this level in Singapore and he is never far from the money in any race he contests.

A winner of six of his 20 starts, Fraajilistic has an excellent record the 1400m distance of today’s race winning four of his six attempts and is second up into tonight’s race.

He resumed with a solid win over 1200m in benchmark 89 grade just over a month ago but has been given 33 days off to be ready for this event.

Fraajilistic has paid the price for consistency and a drop back in grade, rising 5.5kgs on his last start win. While leading young rider Rizuan Shafiq will take a kilo off Fraajilistic’s back reducing his weight to 57kgs, he will still need to do everything right to handle his lighter weighted opponents.

Seed The Speed, a stable mate of Fraajilistic, is an interesting runner.

The now seven-year-old has been only lightly raced and is winless in the last 12 months from seven starts but he does have some interesting form lines and ratings that bring him into winning contention tonight.

He too is second up from a spell but his fresh up effort was an eye catcher flashing home from well back on the polytrack over 1200m in class 3 company behind the handy Board Walk.

Seed The Speed will take a lot of improvement from that run seeing all five career wins have come on the turf, getting out to 1400m in that surface here is sure to be a major positive factor for him.

Interestingly Alan Munro who doesn’t ride much for the Freedman stable, just five rides in the last 12 months, has taken the mount and with 53kgs on his back rates as one of the better light weight hopes.

The Michael Clemens-trained Knight Wager is an interesting runner dropping sharply in class from races like the G1 Singapore Derby, G1 Patrons Bowl and G2 Stewards Cup back to benchmark grade.

While he has not raced since finishing a well beaten tenth behind Quechua in the Derby some 54 days ago, it is of a concern that he has not trialled.

Ratings wise if he ran to his third behind crack galloper War Affair over this track and distance three starts back then he would be the one they all have to watch out for here. So punters looking for a clue to how forward he is for tonight’s race should probably watch the betting.

Lastly a horse capable of causing an upset is the Cliff Brown-trained Wall Street Boy.

Like Knight Wager, he has not raced since finishing unplaced in the G1 Singapore Derby but it was the 2013 Derby won by Spalato.

Clearly something went amiss with Wall Street Boy as he will have not raced for 418 days when he steps out tonight.

While that is a major concern, on the flip side is his excellent fresh up form and his strong form around this level when last in work. For example he was just beaten in Kranji Stakes A company and a winner in Class 3 grade.

While that form is over 12 months ago, he has been prepared for his return with two soft trials and Michael Rodd who rides him in both has the mount tonight.

Betting moves will also be important for the prospects of Wall Street Boy.

Enjoy the race.