Quite a Mesmerizing workout

It is just a small field assembled for Saturday’s $50,000 Class 4 race for distance runners.

But it is an interesting line-up with two last-start winners and a few who appear to be running into form.

On a wet Tuesday morning at Kranji, they impressed the faithful who braved the drizzle to be at trackside for the gallops.

Mesmerizing – trainer Stephen Crutchley’s first Singapore winner (on March 5, 2022) – was one of those who delighted the spectators.

The last-start winners, Raising Sixty-One and Mr Big Brother, and Tony’s Love were the others who, on the strength of their workouts, should help us forget that the “main” event is “just a Class 4 tussle”.

Mesmerizing, who will don the No. 1 saddlecloth, went over the 600m in an easy 41.6sec.

Raising Sixty-One clocked 40.3, Mr Big Brother (Saifudin Ismail) 37.1 and Tony’s Love 38.1.

Apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow, who closed off last Saturday’s programme with a mild upset win on Webster ($67), was entrusted with the task of steering Mesmerizing over the Poly 600m.

She did a good job. As did her mount, who appears to be “fit and ready” for the weekend.

A handsome chestnut entire by Cosmic Trigger out of Personal Sale, Mesmerizing was heavily backed at his last start but could not justify the $12 starting price.

After holding second for most of the 1,600m trip, he could not find anything extra over the concluding stages.

But he was not disgraced by finishing third behind Engine Start.

That day, Mesmerizing had Bernardo Pinheiro in the saddle.

The switch to 3kg-claimer Seow might work wonders.

Not only will Mesmerizing get some weight relief, which will significantly ease the 59kg burden on his back, but he will also have a “familiar” jockey in the saddle.

After all, it was Seow who partnered him to victory on Jan 7. That was over the mile and Mesmerizing won with almost two lengths to spare.

A month later, he made it back-to-back wins – that time with Iskandar Rosman on the reins.

Since then, Mesmerizing has been lying dormant but he is getting his act together.

He has been knocking on the door again and, come Saturday, he could lead the charge home.

On Mesmerizing’s trackwork, Seow said: “Just a quiet gallop this morning, as he is always fit and ready to go. Just a couple of strong horses to beat.”

Well, they had better keep an eye out for Raising Sixty-One, who beat Mesmerizing by 1½ lengths over the Poly 1,600m on May 27.

If anything, his Tuesday gallop was a nice “topping-up” by the four-year-old, who made it back-to-back on June 24. He blew away the opposition to win by a length.

Prepared by reigning champion trainer Tim Fitzsimmons, Raising Sixty-One is holding that winning form.

It would not surprise to see him take the fight to Mesmerizing over the final furlong.

Outside of that 1,700m race for Class 4 runners, another outstanding worker on the morning was the Desmond Koh-trained Flying Nemo.

The three-year-old Kiwi-bred was all speed when running the 600m in 36.1sec.

It was another ride for Seow, Kranji’s only woman jockey.

LIke how she felt on Mesmerizing, Seow was more than pleased with Flying Nemo’s work ethic.

“He is good, too. He certainly knows what to do,” she said. “He is very mature for a three-year-old.”

The pocket-sized Flying Nemo has been one of the revelations at Kranji.

Sure, he still plies his trade in Class 4 but he has had three wins, a second and two third placings from just seven starts, which began with that winning debut on Oct 8, 2022.

Not bad for a youngster who went under the hammer for just $7,000 as a yearling.

Under Koh’s care since Day One, Flying Nemo has banked in excess of $110,000 for his connections.

Koh has entered him in a $50,000 stakes race over the flying 1,100m. Having won over this trip in January, the race might pan out to suit him.

So, if you are on course for Saturday’s action, keep those binoculars focused on the horse carrying the jockey in those green silks with the red “V” – the colours of the Nemo Stable.

A fourth win in eight starts could be in the offing.