Crutchley rules with a pair of winners at trials

Trainer Stephen Crutchley had every reason to be a happy man trackside on Tuesday morning.

He had two runners entered for the trials that day and both delivered.

First off in the third trial on a rain-affected Polytrack was Fame Star and he romped home a one-length winner under Jerlyn Seow.

Then, in the next hit-out of the morning session, he saddled Sweet N Sour to take the trial by 1¼ lengths.

On a morning when no speed records were equalled or broken, Crutchley’s pair of “winners” – both owned by Toast Trusts Stable – clocked 1min 00.93sec and 1min 00.43sec respectively.

As expected, Fame Star had things his way in his 1,000m romp.

He went into the trial as the highest-rated runner (92 points) and lived up to expectations.

He cleared the chute without any problems and Seow quickly settled him at the front of the pack.

Into the final stretch and with the apprentice doing all that was necessary – and nothing more – Fame Star cruised to the line.

Trainer Jerome Tan’s Energy Baby did well to hold down second spot, consigning Ima to third place.

But it was all about Fame Star. On the day, all things fell into place for him.

The eight-year-old, who has collected in excess of $800,000 for his connections, has been having it tough when pitted against the upper crust of Kranji’s gallopers.

His last win on April 23 came a year after he had won a Class 1 sprint in March of 2022. But you have to give him credit for that victory in April.

That day, when ridden by Bernardo Pinheiro, he led from go to whoa, beating Saturno Spring by a length over the mile.

While he is getting long in the tooth, the American-bred is not about to be put out to pasture.

There are a couple of wins in that frame of his and, on the strength of that run in the trials, the son of Twirling Candy could be worth some thought the next time he is geared up to face the starter.

As for Sweet N Sour, he is a head-scratcher.

He was backed down to third favourite at his last start on April 29 but he never fired a shot.

After holding third, he faded fast to finish last of 12 in that 1,100m sprint.

Of course, he was subjected to a post-race veterinary examination. But they found nothing wrong.

Crutchley then sent him to the trials and Tuesday’s hit-out was his best to date.

The Brazilian-bred colt is better than that last-start effort and his trial on Tuesday should help rebuild the confidence lost after that last outing.

With Thursday being a public holiday, trials planned for that day were moved up to Wednesday and a couple of runners got the thumbs-up.

Dr Kardo took the second trial quite stylishly while Wealth Elite beat them all in Trial 3.

Coincidentally, both winners were sweepers, coming from way back to claim victory.

Take Dr Kardo. He was unsighted in the early part of his trial.

Ridden by Simon Kok, he was parked second last as Star Glory (Saifudin Ismail) and Pacific MV (Wong Chin Chuen) went at it hammer and tongs up front.

Deep into the home stretch and Dr Kardo began to fashion a run.

Taken to the extreme outside, the Tim Fitzsimmons-trained son of Not A Single Doubt seemed to enjoy the space and, like a good horse, he opened up in style.

With the momentum on his side, he swept to the front close home to beat Star Glory by ½-length with Pacific MV another shorthead away in third.

Dr Kardo is running into a rich vein of form. His last five runs read 4-3-4-4-2 with that last one being a narrow defeat on June 11.

Already a three-time winner when trained by James Peters, the Baree Stable-owned six-year-old can still inflict pain on his rivals.

Same too, Wealth Elite.

Prepared by Steven Burridge and another one ridden by Kok, he was nowhere near the leading bunch as the field negotiated that first bend on the far side.

But his racing took on a different complexion in the home stretch.

Kok saw a gap opening up nearest the rails and he went for it.

Wealth Elite was ready for action and as Baby Twins, Sabah Ace and Kassab made a race of it, Wealth Elite came through and collared them to win by a shorthead.

The six-year-old Brazilian-bred ran the trip in 1min 00.31sec.

Since May 18, Wealth Elite has had four trials and he does look primed for a good showing the next time Burridge sends him to the races.