Rocket Man, the superstar of Singapore, is back today to satisfy his hometown legion of fans and they already know the result of his resumption race.
However they want so see him and back him and wish him well on his trip to firstly Japan for the G1 Sprinters Stakes and then to Hong Kong for the G1 Cathay Pacific Sprint.
The result of Race Nine today, a S$125K Kranji Stakes A over 1200m on the poly is a foregone conclusion, as Rocket Man is unbeaten fresh up.
He has trialled twice in preparation, winning both and in particular his latest one last week rather effortlessly, and from gate two will control the race and pace.
If you attack him you suffer and lose and if you stalk him and try to detonate when he does then you look like a tom thumb firecracker going off versus a double happy.
Rocket Man is now a six-year-old and still has many more missions to go, with the scary thing being he could still be getting stronger, faster and higher.
After his trip to Japan and then onto Hong Kong there is no truth to the rumour about his international or should I say possible universal endeavour.
With the Russian rocket troubles of late and the retirement of the space shuttle, an option for something or anything to get too the crew on the International Space Station could come down to Rocket Man!
Rocket Man is still flying and never lets you down.
Pat Shaw and owner Fred Crabbia await a call and never knew that Singapore and South Africa could possibly become elite members of the space race!
The logical runner up today will be Better Be The One but he does have to carry the same payload as Rocket Man.
His fresh up run was enormous under 59.5kg in a track record shattering race but this is a far different flight path having drawn gate five.
Better Be The One is a strapping sprinter but trainer Michael Freedman must be sick of looking at second maximum and will be volunteering now to personally motorcade and make sure Rocket Man gets on the plane to Japan.
I do give Shaw a chance of forming the quinella today with Dittatore should Better Be The One not fill the runner up berth.
Dittatore having drawn the priceless ace barrier, which considering his stablemate drew two, will be like a slipstream into second if good enough.
He was backed fresh up for nine months in a Benchmark 97 on the poly over 1200m and although he finished last was inside three lengths from the winner.
The run was super as he sat wide handy working and never gave it away, with the winner Merchant showing it was a form race by finishing third at its next start beaten noses in the G3 Woodlands (1200m).
Merchant would have won but for the rider dropping the whip early in the run home and thereafter only able to glove the horse over the neck.
Come and see a champion today at his twenty-first outing that started racing on October 19 in 2008 and is still winning at home and away.
His sixteen wins are awesome but his four-second placings have seen him never get beaten by more than half a length, so he fights relentlessly for the hard-earned dollars and unwavering faith that many place on him.
An awe-inspiring commissioned statue of Rocket Man is closer to happening than you think for a living legend such is the rapidly expanding and changing face that is Kranji Racecourse.
Enjoy the Rocket Man race.
