In-form Ravalli looking good for a hat-trick

Out there, where racing men gather over a beer to “talk horse”, they could right now be debating the merits of Ravalli.

So far, he has been a good friend. Twice already, when backed down to skinny odds, he has come through with wins.

Thefirst was on June 16.

They sent him off as the $9 top pick and he delivered, beating recent winner Stop The Water in his tracks.

Barely a month later, on July 13, when sent off as the $7 raging favourite, he romped home under Ryan Curatolo to win that sprint with a leg in the air.

Now, they are looking at the runners lined up for the last race on Aug 11 and they are asking: “Can Ravalli do it again? Can he get his hat-trick?”

Well, there can only be one answer. Yes, he can.

The Tim Fitzsimmons-trained gelding is nearing the top of his game and racegoers who were at trackside on the morning ofAug 7 would have nodded in unison after seeing him being putthrough his paces.

Taken out for a training gallop under bright sunshine, Ravalli was not extended to cover the 600m in 41.9sec.

It was a neat piece of work – no bluster, no bother – and it would have topped him up sufficiently for the job ahead.

A four-year-old Australian-bred by Ilovethiscity, Ravalli has so far been a revelation.

His Kranji debut on May 18 was an eye-opener.

Partnered by Curatolo – who has since glued himself to the seat – Ravalli missed out on making it a winning debut when beaten by Hole In One in a Novice 1,200m event on turf.

It was back to the drawing board and, after a winning trial on June 6, Fitzsimmons sent his charge back to the races on June 16.

That was the day he drowned Stop The Water in a Class 4 1,200m race on turf.

One more 1,000m trial later on July 4, when he took second in a time of 1min 1.95sec, and he was ready for his next race.

Again, he did it like a good horse would – easily beating a Class 4 field over 1,200m on turf on July 13.

So, and again, racegoers are asking: “Is Ravalli too good for Class 4?” Again, the answer has got to be a resounding “yes”.

He trots into that next assignment on the back of a winning trial on Aug 1.

Well, you know what that means – that he is ready foraction.

Also strutting their stuff on the training track on Aug 7 were Flying Fighter and Arya Pakuan.

Both horses were taken out by jockey Carlos Henrique, who will be in the saddle on Aug11.

Flying Fighter stopped the clock at 39.5 while Arya Pakuan went over the same trip in 39.1.

Already a two-time winner from just 13 starts at Kranji, Flying Fighter’s turf victories came in Open Maiden company (over 1,600m on June 16) and then in Class 5 (over 1,600m on July 28).

In the assignment coming up, the Showtime four-year-old will have to deal with a promotion to Class 4 and that is where it looks – on paper – a little tricky.

But there are three things which could tip the odds in hisfavour in Race 4 on Aug 11.

He gets to race over his pet trip of 1,600m. He gets a featherweight of just 50.5kg on his back.

And, most importantly, his trainer Steven Burridge has got himticking over like a time bomb.

As for Arya Pakuan, he is also a two-time winner with loads of potential yet to be unleashed.

His last win was on May 25 and such was the fluency of that victory that it earned him a promotion to Class4.

As it turned out, things did not pan out well for him.

He was a well-beaten fifth at that next start on June 30, when he finished eight lengths behind the winner, Great Warrior, in that Class 4 romp over the mile.

However, he showed vast improvement at his next start on July 21. That day, when ridden by Vitor Espindola, he came from near last to finish fifth – just two lengths behind the winner, Te Akau Ben.

Formerly under Stephen Gray until sent over to James Peters’ yard in May, Arya Pakuan was a first-timewinner for his new master when he brought home the bacon in that 1,400m race on May 25.

In Race 2 on Aug 11, the five-year-old son of Sebring will tackle the 1,400m on the long course.

Like Flying Fighter, he gets in with a luxury weight of 50.5kg and his owner,the Dago Stable, must already be thinking of taking that walk down to the winner’s enclosure for that photo-taking session.

brian@sph.com.sg