Last Supper justifies pre-race hype

On a sunny Sunday afternoon at Kranji, the action unfolded early when 13 “frisky” youngsters faced the starter in the second of 12 races.

Six were having their “baptisms of fire” and, as it is most times with three-year-olds in the Restricted Maiden ranks, there was plenty of posturing from the moment they were led into the mounting yard.

Oh, how the crowd loved it.

They lapped up that bit of showmanship and they were off their seats when the starter released the field at the 1,200m mark.

As expected from the volume of bets wagered on him on the win tote, Last Supper – carrying four-time Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric – was first to break from the bunch.

However, he did not stay there for long.

Bernardo Pinheiro, on Big Max, had the audacity to steal the lead from the raging $6 favourite.

But, he also did not – or rather, could not – hold it for long.

Straightening for the run home and Last Supper motored to the front.

Then and there, he was – so to speak – home and hosed.

For cosmetic effect and probably to keep his mount’s mind on the job, Duric gave him a few taps with the whip and Last Supper coasted in to win by 2½ lengths.

He clocked a respectable 1min 10.45sec.

In the process, he justified all the hype surrounding him leading up to this – his debut appearance at Kranji.

Oh yes, James Peters, who owns and trains the gelding, is going to have loads of fun with his three-year-old who is still a work in progress.

On breeding, Last Supper should handle longer distances. His sire Grunt won five races up to 1,600m, so he should inherit those genes.

Earlier in the afternoon, Sun Rectitude opened proceedings with a good win which justified a late plunge in the betting which saw him get into $16 at the off.

Those who wagered on him did not have a moment of anxiety as apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow produced a copybook ride to bring him home a comfortable winner by a length.

It was a classic case of the rookie’s 3kg allowance coming right into play.

It brought down Sun Rectitude’s 59kg to a more manageable 56kg and it probably did the trick. He was also down in class.

Although getting long in the tooth – he turned eight on Aug 1 – Sun Rectitude still has a ton of racing left in him.

Trainer Desmond Koh would have had a juicy treat awaiting when his old-timer trotted back to the stable.

It is hard to put a good man down and leading jockey Manoel Nunes got on the board early when he steered home another $6 favourite in Race 3.

Grand Supreme, from Richard Lim’s yard, lived up to his name when he reigned supreme over the Polytrack 1,000m event to open his Kranji account at his seventh start at Kranji.

Grand Supreme came into the race on the back of a second-placed effort on July 30.

And he quickly put that blemish behind him when he raced to the lead at the furlong mark, before holding off a late challenge from Lim’s Fuji to prevail by a neck.

For Nunes, it would be another day in the office.

The Brazilian hoop would continue his good work by notching up a treble from his book of nine rides.

His other winners were the Kuah Cheng Tee-trained Lion Spirit ($9 for the win) and Roda Robot ($14), who gave Jason Ong a treble and the lead in the trainers’ table with 36 winners.

But, if there was another Sunday favourite with the crowd – aside from Last Supper, of course – it was Maxima.

Another one having his Kranji debut, the globetrotter won the Class 4 sprint over the 1,200m with loads of authority.

Prepared to perfection by Ricardo Le Grange for Edmond Yue, the German-bred toyed with his rivals on the alternate surface.

The $13 shot, ridden by Pinheiro, would eventually take the honours, beating Grand Avante (Marc Lerner) by 1¼ lengths.

For a six-year-old, Maxima has been a seasoned traveller.

He has traversed the globe and has raced in the United Kingdom, France and Hong Kong – his last base – for four wins.

He arrived at Le Grange’s yard on May 5 and quickly acclimatised.

With a string of solid gallops under his girth and a winning trial on Aug 3, Le Grange knew it was time.

He was not wrong.

Turned out looking like a million bucks, Maxima brought that trial form to the race and won with that proverbial leg in the air.

Like Last Supper, Maxima is going to win more races at his latest home.

Make him your friend. He is a smart horse for the future.

Sunday's Singapore Results: