Street Of Dreams loading six-shooter

Once again – like it was on Feb 12 – a $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race will grab the attention of racegoers.

And once again – like it was not so long ago – they could be cheering themselves hoarse for a horse named Street Of Dreams.

He was all-conquering when lifting that last Kranji Stakes A event over 1,400m.

Come Saturday, he could again be kicking sods of turf into the faces of his rivals over the concluding stages of the 1,600m contest.

Yes, the mile should suit his stalk-and-strike style of racing and one other thing is certain.

Trainer Steven Burridge has kept this son of Dundeel ticking over nicely and we saw evidence of that with his work on the training track.

On an overcast Tuesday morning, when some of Kranji’s best strutted their stuff, Street Of Dreams was among the cream.

He galloped over the short 600m stretch in 38.3sec, leaving nothing to the imagination.

He oozed with form.

Trainer Ricardo Le Grange’s reigning Singapore Gold Cup winner Hongkong Great was out there, too.

So was stablemate Rocket Star and trainer Stephen Gray’s dual Group 1-winner Hard Too Think.

But it was all about Street Of Dreams.

And why not?

Racegoers love it when an equine marvel shoots for the stars and this four-year-old fits the mould.

He will be shooting for his sixth win in a row.

And, to them, it is something to talk about over their coffee and toast.

Can he “throw a six” as in the dice game?

Well, he will not get the luxury of that feather on his back like the last time, when he carried just 50.5kg.

But it is just a 3kg increase for this latest attempt and we know that Street Of Dreams has won with much more on his back.

Yes, he is on a roll and, once again, we will see him sent off as one of the top picks in that $100,000 race.

What about Hongkong Great?

Well, he seems to have recovered from whatever was ailing him at that last race, where he finished an uncharacteristic 15th in that field of 16.

That day, the wet weather and soggy conditions contributed to his undoing. And the 1,400m might have been a tad too short.

Right now, Hongkong Great’s form cannot be faulted.

He galloped with gusto on Tuesday – in a swift 36.3 for the 600m.

Calvin Habib was entrusted with the reins and the 1,600m on Saturday will suit him just fine.

So, look for that swagger when he leads the field out to the start. He could be the one leading them home – and stay strong to the line.

Le Grange, who saddles Hongkong Great, will have a good “reserve” in Rocket Star.

A handsome chestnut by Star Witness, Rocket Star had Vlad Duric doing the steering when sent out for his gallop.

Like Hongkong Great, he also went fast, clocking 35.7 for his piece of work.

However, he seems to have lost his way – to the winner’s enclosure, that is. He has not won since October 2020.

But we did see something good when he finished third behind Lim’s Kosciuszko in the Group 3 Merlion Trophy over the Polytrack 1,200m on Feb 4. Expect to see him build on that. His fine gallop seemed to suggest so.

Outside of the Kranji Stakes A contest, two gallopers from trainer Michael Clements’ yard also drew attention to their chances on Saturday.

Pacific Charm had Wong Chin Chuen doing the work from the saddle when running the 600m in 39.1 while Real Success ran out the trip in 37.8.

Pacific Charm will see action in the Class 4 (1) sprint over 1,400m on turf.

A six-time starter at Kranji, he last greeted the judge on Oct 29, when beating a field of maidens over 1,400m.

In his last start on Feb 18, he ran third to Quadcopter over 1,200m on the Polytrack.

At seven, Real Success may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but he certainly knows his way around a racetrack.

He finished second to Knight’s Gambit in his last start. That, after being slow to clear the chute. That was his undoing.

If he gets going on level terms on Saturday, he could give his rivals something to ponder in that Class 4 (2) race over 1,400m.