Supplementary entries bring total past 200 nominations
05 Apr 2010
Singapore Turf Club
At the closing date of March 31 for alternative nominations, 10 supplementary entries were registered for the Singapore Airlines International Cup and KrisFlyer International Sprint.
The $3million International Group 1 SIA Cup has drawn four more nominations, while six horses have joined the list of the $1million International Group 1 KrisFlyer.
The total number of entries now stands at 124 nominations for the SIA Cup and 81 for the KrisFlyer for a combined total of 205.
SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP
Heading the list for the SIA Cup supplementary entries is recent surprise Dubai Duty Free (1800m) winner AL SHEMALI.
Unheralded before his Dubai World Cup triumph, AL SHEMALI turned giant-killer in the US$5 million Group 1 event on turf, beating a classy field made up of the likes of Bankable, Presvis (both SIA Cup nominations as well) and Good Ba Ba among others.
After two creditable back-to-back fourths in the KrisFlyer (2008 and 2009), owner-trainer Laurie Laxon is this time aiming WAIKATO at the big Cup race. A regular staple in feature sprints in his first three years at Kranji, the Pins six-year-old has developed more stamina over time, claiming victory in the Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) and a second in the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1800m) last year.
Since his eighth to Jay Peg in the 2008 SIA Cup, New Zealand’s SPIN AROUND has been running in staying classics on both sides of the Tasman Sea, including an unplaced run in the Melbourne Cup (3200m). He did however land the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) last year before running fourth in this year’s renewal last month.
The fourth SIA Cup supplementary entry is the well-performed Monsun mare LA BOUM, a dual Group 3 winner in France. Prepared by Robert Collet, LA BOUM scored first-up in a 2400m race last February before running third in the Group 3 Prix Exbury (2000m) at Saint-Cloud at her last run.
KRISFLYER INTERNATIONAL SPRINT
Macau becomes the 15th country to nominate runners for the Singapore’s international races, with the inclusion of their duo of sprinting sensations VIVA PRONTO and GOOD CONTROL on the KrisFlyer list.
VIVA PRONTO gave owner Stanley Ho and trainer Gary Moore something to cheer about when he upstaged more fancied Hong Kong horses in the Interport Group 3 Hong Kong Macau Trophy (1400m) on 6 March, to bring up his ninth victory, with the previous eight wins all scored between 1000m and 1200m on turf.
The Patrick Lee-trained GOOD CONTROL also boasts nine wins to his credit, but with the first eight scored on sand (1050m) at Taipa. He did however prove his versatility by winning at his first run on turf over 1200m last June, incidentally beating VIVA PRONTO into fourth.
Dual champion Hong Kong trainer Caspar Fownes, who picked up third place with Sanziro in the KrisFlyer in 2008, has nominated GREEN BIRDIE, a previous Hong Kong Derby Trial (1800m) winner, who has been nurtured into a seasoned sprinter in recent years. The Catbird six-year-old ran second to Inspiration in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in 2008.
Incidentally, just under two lengths away from Sanziro in fifth in that 2008 KrisFlyer race was United Arab Emirates entrant STAR CROWNED, who has been re-entered by trainer Rashed Bouresly.
British galloper JUDD STREET and local hope SMOKING JOE round out the list for the alternative nominations in the KrisFlyer.
JUDD STREET, an eight-year-old veteran of 55 starts for 10 wins, wintered successfully in Dubai with a nose-win over STAR CROWNED in the Meydan Racecourse (1200m) on 5 March. Prepared by Eve Johnson Houghton, JUDD STREET then went on to finish sixth to Joy And Fun (also a nomination for Hong Kong in the KrisFlyer) in the Group 3 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m on turf) on Dubai World Cup night.
SMOKING JOE, a five-year-old by Danetime, has scored three times in Singapore – all over 1400m on turf - from eight runs for Dr Yeoh Kheng Chye.
The final late entries for both races will close on 27 April 2010.
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