Spieth Heroine is coming home
Trainer Peters’ filly all set to score overdue win after squandering chances recently
By the time Spieth Heroine steps out in the $20,000 Maiden race (1,400m) at 1pm on July 7, British trainer James Peters would know if his country’s XI is through to the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
England played against Switzerland in a quarter-final match at Dusseldorf 13 hours earlier at 12am (Singapore time).
Win or lose (result not available at press time), the proud West Ham United fan would have to unfortunately endure more anxious moments, albeit not as long as 90 minutes, for the maiden three-year-old filly at Kranji.
While racing and football are two totally different sports, watching the daughter of Spieth come so close and yet so far must have felt like the same rollercoaster ride of seeing England through by the skin of their teeth despite a string of underwhelming performances.
At least, Spieth Heroine’s three seconds and four thirds in 14 starts were not for lack of trying.
At her last start in an Open Maiden 1,600m event on June 16, she was being shouted the winner until feisty Flying Fighter appeared.
She was travelling the best 600m out when she effortlessly snuck up to the first three – including stablemate Supreme Liner – who were already being hard ridden.
It is a moot point if she would have won had she not veered out under pressure 200m from home.
Regular partner Krisna Thangamani had to momentarily stop wielding the whip in the left hand to yank her back on the straight and narrow.
A pair of winkers will be slapped on to fix this waywardness, but those rough edges that need to be smoothed out are not the main worry, though.
Based on her age and sex, she carried the lightest weight (55kg slashed by another 1kg by Krisna’s claim) in an Open Maiden race at weight-for-age conditions.
But she now shares the topweight of 57kg with Lim’s Teton, giving weight all round.
Tipping the scales at close to 500kg, she is quite a big girl, though. Barrier No. 1 can only be in her favour as well.
Lim’s Teton is also a filly, but much less exposed with only six starts. However, her last-start third to Big Union suggests she is on the way up.
The Trapeze Artist three-year-old had never shown any early toe until that Restricted Maiden race over 1,100m on June 9. She raced greenly, though, and her condition gave out in the straight.
In Marc Lerner’s safer pair of hands, she may soon prove her usefulness to the all-conquering Lim’s Stable.
Golden Eighteen, with only 50kg on his back, may pose a larger threat, though, especially if Bruno Queiroz opts for a cold ride like at his last-start second.
Ignore Bravo Kid’s unplaced run at his last outing. It was game over when he was trapped four deep punching the breeze.
On his previous good form, as well as a trial win on June 25, he may bounce back to better things, especially if he can tuck in somewhere from his middle gate.
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