Trainer Saimee Jumaat has every reason to believe Boy Wonder will be right in his element in Friday night’s 1000m Polytrack speed dash.
The Brazilian-bred four-year-old has won two of his last three races in Class 4 Premier and Novice company, both on Polytrack, but over 1100m and 1200m respectively.
He will now go up in grade in the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1000m, taking on handy opponents such as Julius Caesar, Filibuster and Effortless, but in saying this, he has also beaten nice horses like Curvature and Nova Vocal.
Saimee would have preferred to stick to 1100m-1200m trips for the former Lee Freedman-trained son of Mastro Lorenzo if he could help it, but that would have meant keeping him at the stables this week when he is good to go.
“I couldn’t find a Polytrack 1200m race for him. There was this Class 3 1000m race tomorrow, and even if he will be up in grade, I think he has done well to earn his spot,” said the former Singapore multiple-champion jockey.
“He’s gone through his grades very well. With two wins in the last three, he’s obviously got the form, and we had to take advantage of that.”
Saimee said Boy Wonder had pulled up in good order even if he had to bust his guts to hold off James Peters’ talented Nova Vocal at his last start in a Novice race over 1200m on Polytrack on April 15.
“Boy Wonder has pulled up well after that Novice race. It was a good tough win with Vlad (Duric),” he said.
“I think I will keep him to Polytrack races, but hopefully over 1200m next time. Just keep things simple.
“Unfortunately, Vlad won’t be able to ride him at 54.5kgs tomorrow. We’ve got Glen Boss to ride him this time.”
Saimee said Boy Wonder was the standout among the four horses he has entered at Friday’s meeting, with Puravi, Southern Spur and Pacific Ocean likely to battle.
With 12 winners from 128 starters at his first full season and just missing the Top 10 on a countback for seconds with Cliff Brown, Saimee said he was in a happy place at the minute.
“I’m happy with my season. I’ve done well since I started (last August),” said Saimee who racked up a decent tally of 14 winners at his kickoff season last year.
“The horses have gone up in grade, and have reached their mark. It’s not as easy for some of them, but overall, they are running to expectations.”
Inevitably, the key to sustaining a steady momentum in any stable, old or new, is the injection of new blood, and Saimee was no different.
“I’ve got some new horses coming up, three-year-olds mainly and three two-year-olds,” he said.
“Out of the three babies, only Scooby Dooby Doo will get a run in the two-year-old series. The other two are not ready.
“Joe Singh’s got this filly by Gingerbread Man. She’s shown enough ability to get a run in the series.”
The Singapore Golden Horseshoe series kicks off with the Kranji Nursery Stakes (1000m) next Friday and will spread over five Legs, culminating with the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) on July 13.
