Trial shows all’s good with Raising Sixty-One

If you were one of many who felt gutted, flabbergasted and stunned for words when watching the start of the Raffles Cup on Aug 11, we do not blame you.

Indeed, some of you who had tickets on Raising Sixty-One resting in your pockets might even have felt cheated. Yes, in this game, you win some andlose some.

Take it or leave it.

That is racing, as we know it.

But in that Group 1 Raffles Cup – the highlight of theday won by Lim’s Saltoro, who defeated stablemate Lim’s Kosciuszko by a nose – Raising Sixty-Onenever even gave his backers a fighting chance.

He blew the start when he veered out and dislodged jockey Bernardo Pinheiro who, on the day, was riding high,having pinched a race-day double on Hole In One and Big Union.

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Yes, it may be racing as we know it. But it still sucks.

Well, the good thing is, no harm seemed to have befallen Raising Sixty-One.

However, to make doubly surethat he came out of that debacle without a scratch, his trainer Tim Fitzsimmons did not waste any time sending him to the trials.

That took place on the morning of Aug 13 and Raising Sixty-One came away from the jumpout looking intact and ready to go.

Unlike what we saw on Raffles Cup day, this time Raising Sixty-One cleared the chute like a charm.

His rider Bruno Queiroz, though, had other plans for the six-year-old. He applied the brakes and had his mountsitting in lastspot, and widest of the lot, when the field made that sweeping left-hander on the far side.

They were still in last spot – and travelling really wide – when they straightened for the run home.

But Queiroz then went to work.

Allowing the Belardo gelding more rein, he clicked his mount into overdrive and, given the freedom to stretch out, the five-time winner from 24 starts chased the leader, collared him at the 100m and went to the line a comfortable victor by a length.

Tax Free took second – a massive five lengths in front of the early leader, Bizar Wins, who was ridden by jockey Saifudin Ismail.

Raising Sixty-One may seem out of his league when up against giants like Lim’s Kosciuszko and, now, Lim’s Saltoro.

But he can certainly hold his own against other notable gallopers who, like him, are used to seeing the backsides of the twin terrors from Lim’s Stable.

Indeed, in his career which began in September 2022, he has taken the fight to noteworthy rivals such as Bestseller, who beat him by half-a-length in the Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes over 1,700m on the Poly on Dec 2, 2023, as well as Makin, Cavalry and Mr Black Back.

So, forget that debacle in the $300,000 Raffles Cup.

It was an aberration for the Polytrack specialist – he won twice over 1,600m and thrice over 1,700m on the alternate surface – who has earned almost $288,000 for AJ’s Stable.

We saw at the trials on Aug 13 that the 84-point rater, who has also garnered four seconds (over 1,600m and 1,800m on turf as well as twice over 1,700m on Poly) and three thirds, can still raise a good gallop.

brian@sph.com.sg