When trainer David Hill heads down the tunnel to saddle Lucky Mission in a Class 4 race on Sunday, he may feel like taking a walk down memory lane, but funnily, it may feel more like some spin-off of “Back to the Future”.
The humble 1200m race, the $60,000 Flax 2013 Stakes, is named after the best horse the Englishman has arguably ever trained at Kranji, by virtue of Flax’s win in the 2013 renewal of Sunday’s feature, the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1800m).
When Flax won the Group 3 Committee’s Prize (1600m) on September 20 last year, Hill announced that it was the then nine-year-old son of Silvano’s swan song. After recording nine wins, including four at Group level (with the Group 1 Raffles Cup in 2012 the highest acclaim) and close to $1.3 million in prizemoney, the South African-bred was retiring and would see out his remaining years in a paddock at the farm of his proud owners, Dennis and Gael Evans of Newbury Racing Stable in South Africa.
Little did Hill know that was not to be Flax’s last race. The Evans decided to have one last roll of the dice by resurrecting his career in Zimbabwe with trainer Bridget Stidolph.
The brave gelding, who early in his Singapore career was prone to dehydration on pulling up, ran in some of Zimbabwe’s biggest races, namely the Castle Tankard, OK Grand Challenge and Republic Trust Cup, shouldering big masses.
He did not win until last Sunday when he took out the Breeders Sprint over 1450m at Borrowdale Park, scoring by 1 ¾ lengths with Brendon McNaughton up, from Newton Power and the better-fancied Eurakilon and Whiteline Fever, another former top South African galloper.
Hill heard about that 10th win from his former warrior and paid homage to his incredible longevity.
“I thought he was retired, but I was surprised to hear he was back in work some time ago. I heard that after a few starts, he finally won on Sunday in a Class 4 race over 1450m in Zimbabwe,” said Hill.
“He’s always been a tough horse and he’s showing it now even though he just turned 10. It’d be nice if Lucky Mission wins the race named after him on Sunday, but even if he doesn’t, I will have a special thought for him, more so when I know he’s still racing out there in Zimbabwe.”
Lucky Mission forms part of a group of five Argentinian-bred “Mission” horses transferred from Desmond Koh to Hill early this year by the Brookby Stable. By coincidence, two more are running on Sunday, last-start winner Flying Mission in the $35,000 Thundering Jet 2010 Stakes, a Class 5 race over 1200m and Secret Mission in the $80,000 Trigger Express 2007 Stakes, a Kranji Stakes C race over 1100m while a fourth one, Good Mission was scratched from Friday’s nine-race programme.
Hill said they were no world-beaters but going on their latest performances, they would be in the mix in their respective contests. All three will be ridden by French jockey Olivier Placais who was the winning partner at Flying Mission’s last victory.
“They’re average horses who’ve had a few runs with me this year. I had to show a lot of patience to bring them to racing fitness as they looked like they’ve had a bit of racing to be honest,” said Hill.
“They have a chance on Sunday, but there is no telling with such horses. They have worked well and I hope they live up to their recent form.
“Most of my horses are actually like these. I would say 60% of my horses are old like Beat To Quarters, Buzet, Cool Cat, but the key is to keep them sound.
“If they are competitive enough, we keep them going. Or else, we will pull them out when we can tell they’ve had enough.”
