It is nearly two years since New Rose Wood last tasted success in a race at Kranji.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Not that the now six-year-old has totally lost her form but she kept finding one – or two – just too strong in tougher company.
That could be all set to change on Sunday when she lines-up in the $125,000 Open Handicap over 1800m.
New Rose Wood was last successful for connections – the Bukit Mas Stable – in a 1600m Kranji Stakes C over 1600m on March 21, 2010.
That is just under a month short of two years and the Love A Dane mare has had quite a deal of racing since. In fact the mare has raced on 19 further occasions without success.
She certainly not disgraced herself, although she did lose her way slightly in the middle of last year before eventually changing stables.
Under the guidance of Desmond Koh, New Rose Wood could have been considered one of the unluckiest gallopers racing in Singapore before transferring to the care of Cliff Brown for whom she will be having just her fifth run this afternoon.
Under Koh, New Rose Wood, in June 2010, ran a narrow second to Intercept in the Group 1 Patron's Bowl over 1600m before coming out at her next start, running another brave second, this time to Race Ahead in the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby.
That was her fifth consecutive placing following her success in the Kranji Stakes C event in the March and another placing was to follow, this time in the Group 3 Committee's Prize over 1600m in September.
More Group 1 events were to follow with New Rose Wood tackling the Raffles Cup over 1800m in October and the Longines Singapore Gold Cup over 2200m in November, where she was unplaced on each occasion.
The 2011 season started promisingly for New Rose Wood and included a second in the Group 3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase over 1800m in April before she finished down the track in the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2000m and the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup over 2000m in May.
New Rose Wood then headed to Kuala Lumpur again finishing down the track in the Group 1 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor over 2000m in June before a spell and a change of trainers.
Now a six-year-old, New Rose Wood has been taken a long slowly by Brown but the trainer believes she is about ready to put her best foot forward on Sunday.
“Her last three runs haven't been too bad at all for us,” said Brown. “She ran fourth over 1400m which is a bit too short for her at this stage of her career.
“She then has struck trouble at her last two runs. She got down on the fence last time and was held up, but she finished the race off nicely.”
New Rose Wood was only 3.8 lengths away when sixth behind Mitre Peak in the Woodlands Classic Stakes over 2000m on February 12.
“It is D'day for her really but I think she should be just about at the top of her form,” said Brown.
“It is never easy with six-year-old mares. You are not sure if they still want to be racehorses, but the way she is racing and the way she is working I think she's going OK.
“Danny (Beasley) gets back on her and he rode her in some work on Wednesday and we're hopeful that she might find her way back to the winner's stall for us here.”
Overall New Rose Wood has been well cared for and on Sunday will be lining up for just her 30th race start. She has the record of four wins and 13 minor placings for almost $650,000 in prizemoney, largely due to her placings in a number of those black-type races a couple of years back.
