Wonderful field!
The only question is the order in which Tell a Tale, Waikato and Big Maverick come home in (behind Better than Honor, Superstar).
Oh and please Goldschatz... don't be last again. That was just too unexpected and sad.
14/11/2010 - Singapore
RACE 9:
LONGINES SINGAPORE GOLD CUP (SG1) (3YO & ABOVE) (HCP) (3RD LEG - SINGAPORE TRIPLE CROWN SERIES) (RIDER ALLOWANCE NOT PERMITTED) - 2200M COURSE B (LC) TIME: 17:00 PRIZE MONEY: S$1350000Colour Horse No Last 5 Runs Horse Name EA Gear Jockey Trainer Barrier Rating Wt Desc Sire Dam Owner Rating +/-
1 11111 BETTER THAN EVER TT J SAIMEE
L LAXON 11 119 60.0 4yo B AUS G SH FRENCH DEPUTY (USA) SONGFEST (AUS) JUPITER STABLE 1
2 72522 WAIKATO J POWELL
L LAXON 17 112 56.5 7yo B NZ G SH PINS (AUS) SKYWALKER WILKES (USA) SILVER FERN RACING STABLE -
3 75464 BIG MAVERICK B V DURIC
L LAXON 1 106 53.5 6yo B NZ G SH O'REILLY (NZ) AJFAN (USA) CHAMPAGNE STABLE -
4 32000 GOLDSCHATZ B O PLACAIS
S GRAY 13 102 51.5 7yo BR NZ G SH PINS (AUS) CENTRI BELLE (NZ) STEPHAN HERZOG -1
5 33045 INTERCEPT R STEWART
L LAXON 14 100 50.5 5yo B NZ G SH ZERPOUR (IRE) HAUGHTY MISS (NZ) V-DAY STABLE -
6 80 TELL A TALE S JOHN
M WALKER 7 97 50.0* 5yo CH AUS G SH TALE OF THE CAT (USA) CHEEKY VERONIKA (NZ) FORTUNA NZ RACING STABLE -
7 90060 THUNDERING JET M GALLAGHER
P SHAW 9 96 50.0* 6yo B SAF G SH JET MASTER (SAF) BAR THE SHOUTING (SAF) CRABBIA ALFREDO LEONARDO ARNALDO -
8 90123 ESCAMONDA R FRADD
P SHAW 15 95 50.0* 5yo B ARG G SH ALPHA PLUS (USA) WISE GIRL (ARG) TMEN STABLE 9
9 32236 NEW ROSE WOOD BB, TT J MOREIRA
D KOH 6 95 50.0* 5yo B AUS M SH LOVE A DANE (AUS) WESTERN EXPLORER (AUS) BUKIT MAS STABLE -
10 52514 RISKY BUSINESS WK, TT G BOSS
S BURRIDGE 16 87 50.0* 6yo B/BR AUS G SH DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) SKY WATCH (AUS) RESULTS STABLE -
11 21131 ZAC MISSILE B D BEASLEY
M FREEDMAN 4 86 50.0* 4yo B NZ G SH YAMANIN VITAL (NZ) RANCH (AUS) ZAC STABLE 7
12 46231 MY DRUMBEAT B VORSTER
P SHAW 5 82 50.0* 4yo B IRE G NH MONTJEU (IRE) MASKAYA (IRE) EMMA STABLE 8
13 74879 RAVAGES BLS D YENDALL
C BROWN 10 81 50.0* 5yo CH AUS G SH BLEVIC (AUS) SALQUETTA (AUS) TARNPIRR STABLE -
14 23162 MAURICE UTRILLO F COETZEE
P SHAW 8 80 50.0* 4yo B IRE G NH SADLER'S WELLS (USA) SABRIA (USA) CRABBIA ALFREDO LEONARDO ARNALDO 2
15 05400 HUAT CHAI B M ZAKI
M YUSOF 2 78 50.0* 6yo B NZ G SH D'CASH (AUS) CHECK UP LADY (NZ) HUAT CHAI STABLE -
16 05748 PINA COLARDA B I SAIFUDIN
L KHOO 12 76 50.0* 5yo CH AUS G SH SHOW A HEART (AUS) CARNEGIE ROCK (AUS) WINERY STABLE -2
17 63223 CLINT E1 UNFIXED
C BROWN 3 69 50.0* 4yo B NZ G SH CASUAL LIES (USA) TORCH (NZ) OSCAR RACING STABLE 2
SCR 56703 DROVETTI B, TT VET SCR
S BURRIDGE 97 50.0* 6yo B AUS G SH MOSSMAN (AUS) CLARETA (AUS) NINETYFIVE EMPEROR STABLE -
Better has date with history
Michael Lee
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Champion trainer Laurie Laxon has strength in numbers as he launches a four-pronged attack in his bid to win a third Singapore Gold Cup this Sunday, but Better Than Ever remains the sentimental favourite his fans would rather see do the job.
Waikato, Big Maverick and Intercept, are all three valuable contenders who are all capable of stepping up to the plate for Laxon, should the stable banner boy falter – somehow not mission impossible anymore after the once-infallible Zenyatta lost by a whisker in last Sunday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.
But if Better Than Ever can run the 2200m journey, which he is being tested over for the first time, and overcome his top impost of 60kg, it will take a very good horse to stop him from adding his name to Raul (2004) and Recast (2007) on Laxon’s roll of honour - and becoming the first Singapore Triple Crown Series winner.
Kranji ace Better Than Ever lumps the steadier of 60kg in the Singapore Gold
Cup on Sunday.
In 12 runs bar one, the French Deputy four-year-old has left his rivals chasing shadows, albeit never beyond 1800m. A chequered run inside the last 200m of the first Leg of the Triple Crown, the Kranji Mile on October 3 saw him post a last-stride win before bouncing back to cruise control in the second Leg, the Raffles Cup three weeks later.
After weighing up his options for a few days, Laxon, in concert with owner Tang Weng Fei and jockey Saimee Jumaat, stuck his neck out: Better Than Ever will run in the third Leg, the $1.35 million Group 1 Longines Singapore Gold Cup.
The camp is confident the two mountains rising before him on the path to Gold are surmountable: (1) the 2200m trip – 400m more than the furthest he has run up to (2) the handicap and its related history being against him.
With his lofty ratings of 119 points, he was bound to be treated unkindly by the handicapper who slapped him with 60kg, giving away as much as 10kg to more than two thirds of the field. The last Gold Cup winner to carry 60kg or more was Saas Fee (62kg) 30 years ago, and only four more have done so in the 80 runnings of the blue riband event, the first three in the first four years of its inception since 1924. But Laxon has no time for such statistical mind exercise.
“I really don’t think he is that badly handicapped and he is the best horse in the race,” said Laxon. “The only thing I don’t want is any rain.
“A wet track will certainly make his job a lot harder as he will have to carry the weight for longer. A good track would be ideal.”
Laxon went on to recall how one of his own narrowly lost to the great Smart Bet in a bogged down track in 2002.
“I wouldn’t want it to bucket down like that day Thunderaway lost to Smart Bet,” said Laxon.
“It was very wet and it took a great champion to beat him. I don’t think Better Than Ever would handle it himself.”
But as far as the trip goes, the wily Kiwi, who boasts an impressive training record with stayers such as Empire Rose in the 1988 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Romanee Conti in the Hong Kong Cup (2000m) 1992, has left no stone unturned in building up on Better Than Ever’s stamina.
“I’ve been lucky I was able to use the turf track to work along,” said Laxon.
“I was able to get him to go a little further around two turns – start off from the winning post and work home the last 1200m.
“He did that before the Raffles Cup and repeated the same routine on Saturday and yesterday. He worked very well on his own yesterday.
“The others are all proven at the distance, but I also put them through the same work.”
Laxon, who admitted to “uncomfortable feelings” when Waikato, whom he also owns, nearly inflicted Better Than Ever his first defeat in the Kranji Mile, said it was more important to win the Cup than “who” would win it.
“I treat all four runners the same way, but of course if Better Than Ever, especially with 60kg, wins, he will be remembered for a long time to come,” said Laxon.
“The Gold Cup is a special race I’ve won twice and also had many placings in. It’s second in importance after the SIA Cup.
“Of course it’s even more special if I win it a third time.
“I have the best horse but the others are not to be taken lightly. New Rose Wood with (Joao) Moreira is probably the one I’m most wary of.
“She ran third in the Mile with a small weight. She will drop a lot in weight again and she can stay as well.”
After Big Maverick drew marble one at the Post Position Draw on Thursday, the back-in-form son of O’Reilly has suddenly seen his stocks rise. Now a six-year-old, the former Three-Year-Old Challenge two-Leg winner has been screaming for the Gold Cup journey as seen at his closing runs in the Kranji Mile and the Raffles Cup.
“Vlad (Duric) is very confident about his chances. He will be running on,” said Laxon.
http://www.turfclub.com.sg/