Promising US-bred three-year-old Flash Gift kept his unbeaten record intact when he registered his third successive win in impressive fashion at Kranji on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Trained by John O'Hara and ridden by regular partner Greg Cheyne, the son of Lawyer Ron, a winner of the Arkansas Derby in 2006, stuck to the same on-pace tactics in the $65,000 Graduation race over 1200m to score by 2 ½ lengths from Running Tall, with favourite Precisely third another short head away. The winning time was 1min 12.37secs.
The fact that Flash Gift had scraped home by only a neck at his second win (1000m), in contrast to his debut 3 ¼ length dominant win (1100m) at debut, did raise some concerns whether he could measure up to the rise in class represented by short-priced favourite Precisely and Running Tall on Sunday.
But those worries were unfounded as Flash Gift ($18) relished the step-up to 1200m to comprehensively outrun his main rivals Precisely and Running Tall.
Jumping smartly from his barrier No 6, Flash Gift vied for the lead with Precisely (Joao Moreira) on his inside, and though he had half-a-body in front, he was never given a chance to cross to the fence. But rounding the home turn, the race was put away in a few bounds as Flash Gift drew clear with barely a reaction from Precisely.
Running Tall (Saimee Jumaat) turned in the best last 600m to run from midfield to pip Precisely for second place by a short head.
O'Hara said Flash Gift will get even better over more ground.
“He's by a Derby winner and he should get better as the distance gets longer,” said the Singaporean conditioner.
“I think he backed up too soon at his second start. The trip (1000m) was also too sharp for him.
“Greg rode him a treat. He made Precisely run and that worked in our favour in the end.”
The South African jockey confirmed it was always his intention to test his main danger's stamina over 1200m.
“I wanted to put the pressure on Precisely, especially over 1200m. I knew my horse would fly out the gates as he's got so much early speed, but I also knew he had better stamina than Precisely,” said Cheyne.
“His last win didn't look that impressive but that was because he was over 1000m and he just got run off his feet. It was a different story over 1200m.
“I'm very happy to have won a three-in-a-row with this horse. I can't wait to get him over seven furlongs now.”
Flash Gift cost US$40,000 as a two-year-old and has now amassed prizemoney close to the $100,000 mark with that third win from as many starts for the Saratoga Stable.
Emerald Hill, another undefeated galloper raced by the same connections and trained by O'Hara as well, was meant to race last Friday but was scratched from the race.
“We were all looking forward to seeing how he would measure up against stronger horses, but he came down with a bad skin rash and we had no other choice but to scratch him,” said O'Hara.
