The upcoming Group 2 $150,000 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) is a highly competitive race, where several horses have a realistic chance of winning.
Trainer Donna Logan’s ultra-consistent JANUARY, who won the G3 Three-Year-Old Sprint in his last race, is well-positioned as the highest-rated horse under this week’s racing conditions to secure back-to-back wins in the series, as it rises to his favoured distance.
However, Michael Clements, the leading trainer, has four contenders in excellent form, with TAKANINI unbeaten and a standout from a low draw. PACIFIC WARRIOR, a promising addition to the Kranji ranks with a strong Australian track record, could benefit from the distance increase after a solid second-place finish over 1200m on the Polytrack.
JANUARY’s stablemate KNIPPENBERG made a strong impression with an impressive fourth-place finish despite starting from an unfavourable position in the 3YO Sprint, and he could be a crucial player in the upcoming race, given his ideal draw. BESTSELLER, trained by Ricardo Le Grange, has been another consistent performer and deserves a lot of credit.
Elsewhere, in a bid to return to the winner’s list, the lightly-raced five-year-old Lim’s Straight is set to take the turf this Saturday in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1200m.
With only one win and two placings in seven starts, Lim’s Straight’s last performance with blinkers for the first time turned heads as the Strategic Maneuver gelding showed significant improvement. Although held up badly from the 500m to the 100m, the five-year-old finished with a strong one-length into second place behind Invincible Tycoon over the same track and distance.
This week, Lim’s Straight looks to build on this promising performance with a decent draw and the services of in-form jockey Simon Kok remaining in the saddle. With a bit of luck in running, the gelding could prove a big winning chance and return to the winner’s circle once again.
