HIGH HOPES. Singapore Sling will be running in the Group 1 Champions Mile in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Tony Millard, twice champion trainer in South Africa before he switched to Hong Kong at the end of 1999, hopes Singapore Sling’s light season might tilt the scales in his favour when his stable-star drops to 1600m for the Group 1 Champions Mile (about R18 million) at Sha Tin this weekend.
With three Grade 1s on the card, Sunday is another huge day in Hong Kong, and, aiming to emulate Mike de Kock, who captured this prestigious prize with Variety Club in 2014, Millard stressed he is “looking at the bigger picture” in opting to go for the Mile rather than the even more valuable 2000m QE II Cup.
“A lot of these horses have been on the go all season, whereas Singapore Sling has had just the five starts, so he’s got a bit of freshness on his side,” said Millard, who admitted that in all probability he’ll be looking at the longer races next season.
He added: “Our fellow ran a super race against Ping Hai Star over the 2000m in the Hong Kong Derby, but he also ran second to Nothingilikemore in the Classic Mile here in January, so is versatile enough to be able to cope with the switch.
“He got the trip well in the Derby, but I want a horse for next season’s big races and coming back to the mile (1600m) gives him a softer run to end what is his first season in Hong Kong.”
Singapore Sling, who was a Grade 2 winner for Geo Woodruff at Turffontein before he le South Africa, produced an impressive final gallop at Sha Tin last Friday under big-race rider Chad Schofield, who was all smiles afterwards.
Schofield said: “Singapore Sling did a similar piece of work before the Derby, and Tony has done a great job as he felt great.”
Millard has no doubt that SEASONS BLOOM is the main danger. He added: ”There are four Grade 1 winners in the eld, so it looks a hot race but Danny Shum’s horse is the one I fear most.
“He has been freshened up a couple of times this season and his recent trial was very good, but we’ll give it our best shot and for us it could prove the perfect step- ping-stone to next season.”
Not that we should underestimate the chance of Benno Yung’s giant sized Pingwu Spark, whose rating has climbed from 73 to 119.
However, Yung knows how important the draw will be in this race, observing “when we are in a wide stall we have to use his speed early on, so I’m hoping for a low draw, so that he can take an early position and preserve his finishing kick.”
The absence of the Coolmore trio – Lancaster Bomber, War Decree and Washington DC, all of whom failed to fire in their most recent gallop for Aidan O’Brien – has diluted European interest, though doubtless Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Presco will be anxious to see how his former inmate Time Warp fares in the QE II.
Time Warp has been a star for Tony Cruz and produced a career best performance to win the Hong Kong Gold Cup, but then flopped in the Chairman’s Trophy and I prefer the chance of Derby winner PING HAI STAR, who clocked an exceptional time that day and could be the fresher of the pair.
Joao Moreira, who rides Ping Hai Star, is oozing confidence and said: “He wasn’t that slick out of the gate when he trialled last Friday and got further back than intended, but he came home like we hoped he would and seems as good as he was going into the Derby.”
The Grade 1 Chairman’s Sprint could be a cracker, with Godolphin’s Blue Point, who was with- drawn at the start when a hot favourite for the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on World Cup Night, looking in great nick after arriving on Sunday.
However, the Europeans invariably have to give best to the local horses in sprint races, and John Size looks to hold the key, with Moreira having chosen to ride Beat The Clock rather than stablemates Mr Stunning and IVICTORY.
Nevertheless, the last-named could well be “the fly in the ointment” and at the likely odds he represents the best value.
John Gosden suffered a classic setback last week when Roaring Lion’s 2000 Guineas hopes took a severe dent in the Craven at Newmarket, but hopes his recent Kempton winner Crossed Baton might shake up the Derby market by winning today’s Blue Riband Trial (2000m) on the historic Epsom Downs.
This has been very much Gosden’s race – his five victories include the last three years with Cracksman taking his early steps to stardom 12 months ago but it looks a strong renewal.
Crossed Baton has the edge in fitness, but the Kempton form took a knock when third-placed Tigre Du Terre was well beaten at Newbury last week.
So, while, Aidan O’Brien’s horses are “not quite there”, it could be worth taking a chance with Found’s brother JAMES COOK, who impressed when winning his maiden at Leopardstown last October, especially as he jumped a path up the straight.
You often find a potential Grade horse masquerading in handicaps, and both CONTANGO and Ajman King look better than their mark of 93 in the £50,000 City & Suburban Handicap, with the former, who will relish the easy ground, just preferred.
There is also a cracking card at Sandown on Friday, feature being the Grade 3 Classic Trial, which Gosden has won no fewer than eight times, four of those victories having come in the last decade.
His representative could well be SEVENNA STAR, who annihilated a second rate field in a novice race at Windsor recently and can make his fitness tell by galloping his rivals into submission.
Last year’s St Leger runner-up CRYSTAL OCEAN should have too much class on his return in the Gordon Richards Stakes.