The consistent Nova Missile rates as a strong winning chance in one of the most interesting races on the Kranji program on Friday evening.
Nova Missile is one of several runners to bring recent winning form into race five, the class 3 over 1200m on the all weather track.
The Tan Hai Wang-trained three-year-old rarely runs a bad race and his most recent form is encouraging, finishing just behind the placegetters at his latest outing in a Kranji Stakes over 1000m.He didn’t have the best fortune on that occasion when he was slow into stride and then raced wide from the 700m so the effort to battle on and finish 2.3 lengths away had merit.
He was impressive in winning his previous outing by 3L in a benchmark 67 over 1000m when a better getaway saw him settle second in the run before taking over in the straight and booting away in the final stages.That win came on the back of two seconds over 1100m so the son of I Am Invincible can tick the consistency box.
Nova Missile does his best work on the all weather course where he has achieved three wins and two placings from six attempts.His best Timeform ratings also look to stack up well in this contest and jockey Manoel Nunes is putting together a terrific record on his back with three wins and two placings from five rides.
A win at the distance is one accolade Nova Missile has yet to achieve but he has placed at two of three attempts and the likelihood of a cushy run from gate one can see him run the 1200m out strongly.Anonymous looks a danger coming off a strong win at this course and distance last start.
The five-year-old deserved that victory in the benchmark 67 having placed at his three previous runs this time in.That was jockey Vlad Duric’s first ride on Anonymous and given the gelding’s get-back-and-run-on style, the experience on his back can only help their partnership
The all weather has produced all four of his career wins, along with four placings from 11 attempts and he too should secure a good run in transit from barrier two.The improving Friendship faces another test stepping up to a class three but his progression so far cannot be knocked.
He has put together two wins and two seconds from just four runs, including a strong victory at this course and distance last start where he returned a Timeform rating that is one of the highest last-start figures in this field.That was in a class 4 but he did it in the style of a horse with good scope for development and he comes into this third up so should be hitting peak fitness.
Dan The Man is the query runner at his first Singapore outing since arriving from New Zealand.Racing in his homeland as Xiong Feng, he won his first three starts as a two-year-old, highlighted by the rich Karaka Million.
He hasn’t raced since November and has taken time to settle in to Singapore life having trialled five times but his last two have shown improvement for placings and on class he could well run boldly first up.Good luck and good punting.
