White banks on noted milers to lower Kosciuszko’s colours

By Sharon Zhang, Singapore Turf Club

The Michael Clements camp hopes that race experience over more ground will come in handy in their trio’s attempt to run the unbeaten Lim’s Kosciuszko down in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1600m on Saturday.

Lim’s Kosciuszko (named after the tallest mountain in Australia) may have racked up seven wins from as many starts at Kranji, but the four-year-old son of Kermadec will be at his first test over the mile this time.

Clements and assistant-trainer Michael White would have shared similar concerns when Heartening Flyer, one of their three runners in the small field of seven this weekend, was risen to the mile at his last start a month ago. He finished third to Katak in a similar KSA race.

Connections felt the race was not run to suit the five-year-old son of Excelebration, but they are confident he can bounce back with the right run this time.

“It was his first test on the mile, but it was the opposite of everything we wanted him to do,” said White, who was overseeing three runners at the Thursday barrier trials with his boss having flown to Dubai the night before to attend the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan Racecourse this Saturday.

“It wasn’t (the jockey) Harry’s (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) fault but it was just how the race panned out. He had no choice but to go forward to catch up with the leader (Katak), but he is better ridden quiet.

“Even though he still ran well, it was still in a way a disaster. So, you can forget that.

“Obviously, he’s drawn good this time (barrier 3), so he will come from behind and he should get the perfect run.

“(Race-rider) Louis (Beuzelin) had a very good association with the horse in his earlier career, and though he hasn’t been back on the horse for a while, he still knows the horse very well, and has ridden him a lot in his work, so that’s a positive as well.

“Heartening Flyer has always been a sharp worker and he galloped on Monday under Louis.

“We would expect Lim’s Kosciuszko to lead, but this is on the Long Course, so he will have to be in front in the running for a long way.

“We’ve got no issue with Heartening Flyer running over the 1600m, and both Top Knight and Real Success have run over longer trips and proven themselves.”

Five wins from three-time Group 1 winner (Singapore Guineas, Singapore Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup) Top Knight have come in 12 starts over 1600m and 1800m races, while out of his three wins, Real Success scored only once over 1800m.

However, the Falcon Racing No 7 Stable-owned Top Knight has not won in more than a year. The last win came in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) on October 31, 2020, where the Zoustar six-year-old sizzled home under the pelting rain to beat Minister by two lengths.

Hopes were rekindled when he finished one-and-a-half lengths behind stablemate Heartening Flyer in the same race Katak won.

The trip is not a query, the inside draw is not a problem, and French jockey Marc Lerner riding him for the first time is not an issue either.

Yet, to White, his chance of turning his luck around is largely dependent on the skies.

“He absolutely needs a wet track and the rain. His joints have felt the hard tracks at his past few runs,” said the Australian horseman.

“It’s both a blessing and a curse. The tracks here drain so well because of the system and the amount of rain we get, so it’s a little bit on the hard side.

“The last time he won, it was in a Group 1 race (QEII Cup) on a rain-affected track.

“Even when he doesn’t get the track he wants, he still tries his best in every race.

“It’s a small field so he shouldn’t be too far off them. If we get the rain, he will run super.

“Lerner’s riding him for the first time, but he’s a straightforward horse to ride.

“The Long Course is ideal. He will be back last and come from the outside. That’s the way to ride him.

“We pray every week, but we never got the rain. We’d have to run him for luck.”

A six-year-old son of Reset, Real Success will have jockey Oscar Chavez back on him this time after a quick back-up from his last start-eighth to stablemate Tangible in the Class 3 race over 2000m when partnered by Beuzelin. The Lucky Stable-owned gelding is up in class and down to 51kgs at the handicap.

“This is a lot harder for him because he’s up against class horses,” said White.

“We’re not expecting too much from him as this is more of a preparatory run for more suitable races ahead.

“He’s had a lot of problems over the past few years, but now that he’s still fit and sound, we’ve decided to give him a run and see how he goes.

“We can’t say for sure on the quick back-up, so there’s no set plan for this horse. We’ll probably ride him where he lands.”

When asked if anyone from their three-pronged attack could possibly topple likely favourite Lim’s Kosciuszko, White thought two out of the three stood a chance.

“Hopefully, he’s a suspect on the 1600m, though he hasn’t lost yet,” said White of the Daniel Meagher-trained gelding.

“I would rate Heartening Flyer as a better chance, just because Top Knight needs the wet track.”