On a low key card this evening held all on the poly track the choice of Brazil or Britain seems the most contestable question.
Nunes, Munro or Moreira in the fifth race on the card?
We all know that Brazil own England in crunch football matches and in fact most countries do in sudden death as results for nearly half a century prove.
Do not even mention penalty shootouts when England are concerned as the bloke scoffing a punnet of hot chips doused in vinegar, wide and right of the goal, is more likely to be forced to make a save (of his food) than the opposition keeper!
However tonight we have a more even match up in the S$55K Class Four over 1100m on the all weather.
Manoel Nunes is on the serious win chance of Ghost for the Leslie Khoo stable and Alan Munro is on Zenidekka for Hideyuki Takaoka while Joao Moreira rides Cheyenne Warrior for Michael Freedman.
Ghost back onto the poly should scare the life out of this field as the former Perth galloper has had two starts since coming to Singapore and impressed fresh up when third on the all weather on New Years Day.
The four-year-old under 58kg in a Novice sat wide near the speed and fought very well indeed.
He won a trial after that then last start on the turf in a Graduation finished a brave fifth considering he was wide in the midfield throughout.
Ghost has since won another trial and ran good time to win by daylight and the big money will come for the son of Exceed And Excel this evening.
He has been heavily backed in each start and I suspect even more powerful support tonight because at 54.5kg this is an ideal race for him.
When prepared in West Australia we saw Ghost (raced as Rebel Call) win once and place twice in six starts and the victory came at Listed level and one of the placings at G2.
Amazingly he had six trials too and won them all.
Nunes will know by now how good the horse is underneath him and even from an awkward barrier the fact he drops to 54.5kg should ensure the race is all about pressure and fear.
The opposition will fear Ghost and he can apply pressure and crack these if Nunes wishes.
As an example the in form runner Golden Sand Steed has beaten home Ghost in both starts at Kranji but when in receipt of 5.5kg (finished two and a half lengths ahead) and when getting 2.5kg (finished just over a length ahead).
This evening the pair will carry the same impost and also Golden Sand Steed was on the inner both times while Ghost was overland throughout.
Blinkers applied for the first time tells you Khoo is playing his boo card (scare them into retreat then certain defeat).
Zenidekka has pace and the mare raced with credit in America when from ten starts she won twice (over 1200m) and placed four times.
A rain-affected track never worried her at all so do not let the Singapore skies concern your wager should they open up tonight.
Now prepared by the astute Takaoka stable I see the real mare on display here in a winnable race at 54.5kg drawn gate four.
This is the easiest opposition she has faced in three starts at Kranji and the biggest punting pointer is after being ridden by Mohd Zaki in each start we now see the wily Munro get into the saddle.
Munro and Takaoka have built up a good rapport and the wonder mare Better Life has left both men grinning from ear to ear since winning a G1 double impressively last year.
Nunes is currently second in the riding premiership and Munro fourth, with the leader as expected Moreira so this trio are all form players.
Staggeringly right now the three Brazilian riders in Singapore are currently first, second and fifth on the jockey table.
I should note the Australian John Powell is third and ahead of Munro the Englishman in a typical Commonwealth contest that will be oneupmanship throughout the year for sure.
The owners of Zenidekka are the Copa Stable and football fanatics will know that word translates to Cup, with Brazil having won the ultimate prize in football, the World Cup, five times and England just once.
Munro is going to cop some banter pre-start this evening!
Cheyenne Warrior has his first race in Singapore since coming from Australia where he won two of five starts and one of them came at Listed level.
The now three-year-old won his first two starts as a juvenile and snared a Listed event in Tasmania this same month one year ago having won at debut prior on the Sandown-Hillside course.
Joao Moreira takes the ride on the Michael Freedman prepared gelding and won a trial on him last month.
Whether he can carry the 57kg topweight as a three-year-old against mostly older rivals is the issue but respect the Moreira decision as he is clearly looking ahead with this useful youngster.
Fish Rabbitfish won his debut on the poly just over a year ago so goes best in a fresh state.
The horse he beat narrowly in Devil’s Cut since has won three of five starts.
The actual race result has been a goldmine for bettors in both Singapore and Malaysia with nine of the eleven-horse field having won at least once since.
Four runners have won three races and two twice with the total wins out of the Fish Rabbitfish debut win race yielding so far an impressive nineteen victories.
Steven Lam trialled the four-year-old twice over last month towards resuming for a second and a win with the latter barrier outing being for Moreira, who goes with Cheyenne Warrior tonight.
I do think Lam wanted the 2kg claim on Fish Rabbitfish but Moreira will get on again soon and the one time he has ridden it the gelding was second beaten a lip.
Ghost is a massive chance tonight and Brazil seemingly cannot fail to win the feature with Nunes atop it and the main danger Zenidekka is raced by the Copa Stable while Moreira rides a real threat in Cheyenne Warrior.
Munro will be riding Zenidekka for Queen and Country so it looks the value but he faces the green and gold of Brazil wherever he looks so no one mention losing on penalty kicks or grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory against ten men teams!
Enjoy the Ghost Copa.
