Lucky Jinsha, Rocket Star serve notice

On paper, it looked like the third trial at Kranji on Thursday morning would belong to Rocket Star and Lucky Jinsha.

They were the standouts in the nine-horse affair.

Well, the pair did not disappoint.

They dominated proceedings, with Lucky Jinsha eventually getting the better of Rocket Star in that fight to the finish.

And, as expected, the two 93-point raters broke the minute mark for the Poly 1,000m. Lucky Jinsha stopped the clock in 59.24sec. Rocket Star, who finished 1½ lengths behind, clocked 59.48.

And, as expected, the pair never gave the other seven runners a look-in.

Out of the chute without any hassle, the pair allowed Senor Don and Karisto (Ibrahim Mamat) to dictate things.

The trialists cleared the 600m marker with Senor Don leading the way.

Win Win (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) moved up and took a seat in second, with the two “big boys” marking time in third and fourth spots.

A furlong out and the pair decided it was time to get into overdrive.

Clicked into action and off they went. Lucky Jinsha, the mount of Daniel Moor, soon gained the upper hand over the final 100m.

Rozlan Nazam, the rider of Rocket Star, did not waste any petrol. He sat quiet – content to take second spot.

Prepared by Tim Fitzsimmons and Ricardo Le Grange respectively, Lucky Jinsha and Rocket Star have been money-spinners for their connections.

Between them, the pair have put together 12 wins, with Lucky Jinsha contributing eight to the tally.

However, it has been a long time between drinks for the five-year-old son of Shooting To Win.

His last success was on Nov 5, 2022, and we have still been waiting for him to open his account for 2023.

Well, one thing is certain, Lucky Jinsha is running into a rich vein of form – as was evident from his win at the trials.

It was a sign that his ninth success, and his first for the current season, could come sooner rather than later.

As for Rocket Star, his last three runs this season have been in high-profile races.

On Feb 4, he ran third to Lim’s Kosciuszko in the Group 3 Merlion Trophy (Polytrack 1,200m).

Next up on March 4, it was a Kranji Stakes A contest, where he was left floundering when seventh to Street Of Dreams.

And, in his last start on April 23, he was no match for Super Salute and company in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1,400m).

By Star Witness, Rocket Star is hardly done. He has got a ton of racing and more wins in store.

That said, in that same trial, third place-getter Senor Don also deserves some mention.

A five-time winner, he finished a smack-up third to Sky Eye and Ocean Crossing in that Class 1 race over 1,200m on May 20.

Caught wide and having to cover extra ground for most of the sprint trip, he finished less than a length behind the front two.

Senor Don has contributed more than $300,000 to the kitty and he is not the finished product.

Earlier, in the second trial of the morning, City Gold Wonder (Manoel Nunes) served notice of an early win.

He flashed home second behind Gold Star, who took the trial in 1min 00.31sec.

Yet to make his Kranji debut, City Gold Wonder is shaping up for a grand show – and it will not surprise if he wins first-up for trainer David Kok and his Hong Kong connections.