A drop back from Group 1 company to a benchmark 83 gives Majestic Moments the chance to find the winner’s circle at Kranji on Sunday.
The Kranji Stakes over 1700 metres is race nine on the program and has drawn together an even field but the recent Group performances of Majestic Moments will stand him in good stead.
Last start the four-year-old was beaten 4.8 lengths over 1800 metres but that was in the Group 1 Raffles Cup behind Stepitup.
On that occasion he was planted wide in the early stages when racing up on the pace and looked set to challenge on the turn but the tough took its toll in the final stages.
None of today’s rivals can boast the same credentials as the field he faced that day and he won’t be hurt by dropping back 100 metres in distance either.
Prior to that run Majestic Moments took on the Group 3 Committee’s Prize over 1600 metres in September and ran a bold race for a 1.4 length third to Flax.
He led in the early stages there before talking a sit but had surged to the front once more by the turn and while he couldn’t hold his rivals at bay he toughed it out well, only weakening in the final 50 metres.
Majestic Moments has been kept up to the mark with a quiet trial over 1000 metres since that outing and he holds a distinct edge on his rivals using Timeform weight adjusted ratings.
The gelding is undefeated in his two runs on the all weather surface and holds winning head to head records against several of his rivals this year including Blossoms Sequel, Hot Gold, Trudeau and Goliath.
If there is a negative it could be that Majestic Moments is yet to win beyond 1600 metres and has felt the pinch late at his last two outings, albeit in tougher grade.
Another unproven but placed at the journey is Bourbon Goldman.
The gelding’s four career wins have all been at 1200 meters but it appears longer trips are his preference now that he has matured.
At his resuming run he warmed up strongly down the outside in the straight over 1400 metres and with a trip back to the barrier trials since he should be fit for this.
He is a two-time winner on the all weather surface and comes in well at the weights after the 3kg claim.
Blossoms Sequel faces a big test here but it’s tough to fault his form of last campaign when he won three in a row in lesser grade.
He has yet to win first up but has been placed at two of three fresh outings and has been readied for his return with two trials, the latest a one-length second over 1000 metres.
Blossoms Sequel has now won five races, all coming on the all weather surface, and the distance holds no concerns as his victories have come between 1600 and 1800 metres.
The latest form of Hot Gold may be below his best but he did run a better race last time.
That was a 2.1 length fourth over 1600 metres when he was held up on the bend before running on strongly in the straight.
He has been back to the trials since and while he has never won beyond 1400 metres his last run indicated today’s distance should not pose a problem.
One note of caution though for Hot God is that he has never won on the all weather surface despite placing at five of his nine attempts.
