After a sterling coup when he landed his second Garden City Trophy first-up from a seven-month spell, Faaltless is upping the ante in another Group race this Sunday.
While the Group 3 Garden City Trophy (1200m) on August 6 was a condition weight race where he carried only 54kgs, the $200,000 Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy is not only a weight-for-age event, but it is also run over a distance he has gone over only once at his 23 starts.
It was in the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) back in 2014.
The winner was War Affair, whom he will by coincidence find on his path again in the Jumbo Jet. The son of Faltaat was not outclassed though, beaten in sixth place around seven lengths off the winner after racing up with the pace.
Three years have passed and the Shane Baertschiger-trained gelding has gone on to rack up four more races to pad up his record to seven wins (1100m-1200m).
His last win with boom Hong Kong apprentice jockey Matthew Poon astride on August 6, however, occurred almost three years after his last win in November 2014 when he was then upstaging the likes of Emperor Max and Zac Spirit.
Fetlock chips were some of the issues that plagued him, but the MA Racing Stable-owned galloper has put his problems behind him now, and looks all geared up to face new challenges, including a daunting step-up back to 1400m in elite company.
“He’s pulled up very well after his last run. He needs to run again, and even though it’s over 1400m, it’s the right race for him,” said Baertschiger’s assistant-trainer Scott Bailey.
“He ran once over 1400m long time ago, but we thought he deserved to have another go.
“It’s this time of the year when the boom horses come out, so it will be a tough assignment, but he’s working well and deserves a chance.
“He’s a horse who holds his condition very well. He had one last gallop on Saturday and I couldn’t be happier with him.
“He doesn’t set the track on fire, he just does what he does and is just happy to get around. It’s a very tough race, but you can be sure he will give his all.”
Faaltless will be ridden by John Powell, who even if he has been his more regular partner – 10 of his 23 starts – he has won on him only once. The Australian heavyweight jockey rode him at his last barrier trial last Thursday when they just took a casual spin around the track, finishing well within himself in sixth place to Poseidon, whom he will run against in the Jumbo Jet.
Three other Jumbo Jet Trophy rivals were in that trial, all finishing ahead of him. Alibi ran second, while the Ricardo Le Grange pair of Majestic Moments and Emperor's Banquet ran third and fourth respectively.
