Trainer Michael Clements was looking at the softer of two options for Don Platense this weekend, but with the cancellation of the easier race, had to settle for the upgrade in the end.
With April’s Group 3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase (1800m) and Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) locked away as the Argentinian-bred five-year-old’s next immediate targets, Clements had the choice between two 1800m races as a good lead-up, a $75,000 Kranji Stakes C race scheduled this Friday and the $150,000 Group 3 Marsiling Classic Stakes on Sunday, both run on Polytrack.
On weights and measures, Clements was leaning more towards the Friday race, but had to switch target when the race was scrapped due to insufficient entries.
The Zimbabwean-born trainer, however, put a positive spin on the reshuffling of plans – and it was not about the $75,000 difference in prizemoney.
“I wanted to run him in the Kranji Stakes C 1800m race this Friday, but it folded,” said the Zimbabwean-born trainer.
“He is not well in at the weights in Sunday’s race, but then again, he will face the same conditions in the Moonbeam Vase and the QEII Cup. I thought he might as well step up to it now.”
To illustrate the uphill task ahead, the Not For Sale five-year-old, who will have jockey Manoel Nunes aboard, will be in receipt of only one kilo from Longines Singapore Gold Cup winner Tropaios (58 kg against 57 kg) when there is a 22-point (11 kilos) gap between the two (96 versus 74).
The lightly-raced galloper has not had heaps of mileage under his belt either. Don Platense only resumed racing in a 1600m race on February 21, four months after the Argentinian Group 2 winner (1800m) opened his Singapore account at his ninth start, but bled in an Open Benchmark 74 race over 2000m last October.
Given the gelding's long time on the sidelines, Clements could not have been happier with his first-up third to Mr Armstrong after showing the way. He backed up with a solid second to the smart Slew Of Lode in a barrier trial last Thursday.
“He’s going great. I was very pleased with his run four weeks ago even if the mile was a bit short,” said Clements.
“He trialled well last week when he ran second to Slew Of Lode. He took a second off his usual time, which I was very pleased with.
“It will also be his first run on Polytrack, but all seems to indicate he should handle it well. He won on dirt back home and trials well on Polytrack here.
“It’ll be a tough race, but he has now come back to himself since he bled, and I think he should be up to that level.”
Besides being aimed at the Moonbeam Vase – which Clements won in 2011 with Dontellthewife – and the QEII Cup, Don Platense also figures among the just-released list of local entries for the International Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) on May 18.
