Trainer Stephen Gray joked he had to “wake” Twickenham up six months earlier in his bid to land a third Group 3 Committee’s Prize (1600m) in a row on Sunday.
The Artie Schiller seven-year-old won the handicap feature in 2016 and 2017, but that was when it was run in September. The $200,000 race has been brought forward to March for the first time this year.
Pointedly, the last two of Twickenham’s nine wins came in those two Committee’s Prizes. Such campaigns bring echoes of El Dorado when trainer Hideyuki Takaoka tailor-made the champion stayer’s prep all year towards only one race, the Singapore Gold Cup (2200m) which he won three times in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The Committee’s Prize may not be a race as coveted as the Gold Cup, but in Twickenham’s case, it just happens to be a race that fits him like a glove.
After Vlad Duric steered him to a nose-win by going all the way at the first renewal, Twickenham did not score again and rocked up as a $167 chance for the double last year, but he did make all again under a polished ride from Singapore champion apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen.
“The race has come six months earlier for Twickenham. He’s had a shorter time to get ready, but we knew about the change since last year, so no excuse,” said the Kiwi handler.
“The horse won’t know the difference, anyway. We have only one season – hot and humid - in Singapore and it’s not like the horses can feel any difference if the race is run six months earlier.
“Of course, we had a shorter time to get him ready for that race, but he’s running well and I’m quite happy where he is at. He can go forward or race handy, and barrier No 3 will give him every chance.”
English owner Paul Hickman’s gelding has had three starts since the second Committee’s Prize win, producing a mixed bag of results. He did not quite match up to the opposition in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1400m) in November, ran a cracking fourth first-up in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m in January, but beat one home at his last start in a similar Kranji Stakes A race over the mile on February 4.
Ridden by apprentice jockey Zawari Razali at the last outing, he was not suited by the slow tempo set by eventual winner Elite Invincible (one of his rivals this Sunday), unable to muster his usual dash in the home straight.
“Twickenham’s work has been good and he’s got only 50kgs on his back. I am sticking with CC Wong (his last Committee’s Prize winning rider) to try and keep the luck,” said Gray who also saddles the other St George Stable stalwart, Golden Curl, in the feature race.
“I know about the special permission given to a couple of horses to be ridden a few kilos over, but I would rather use lightweight riders and keep to their handicapped weights. That’s what a handicap race is all about.
“You can’t get a better apprentice who can ride at 50kgs than CC and I’m also happy to put my apprentice Amirul (Ismadi) on Golden Curl who also has 50kgs.
“Golden Curl is amazing. He’s a rising 10 and he went super with Amirul three starts back (won a Benchmark 89 race over 1200m on October 22).
“Both horses are well, and Twickenham will try and win a third one. It won’t be easy as it’s also true that the field is much stronger this year.
“There are some who are quite well handicapped in the race as well, but we’re on 50kgs which is better than 54kgs.”
With the exception of Quechua (108) at the second Committee’s Prize win, the vast majority of the horses Twickenham accounted for at the two wins were rated in the 80-95 region. No doubt the five-point hike was implemented this year, but from half of the field rated 100 and above this Sunday, the likes of Infantry (114), Quechua (113), Elite Excalibur (110) and Well Done (105) would have already been on triple digits before the point increase.
