April well on comeback trail

It has been a year and five months since we last saw April win a race.

That was on Feb 25, 2023, and racegoers were mostly impressed with his fighting spirit.

That day, when having just his second race start, April did not have the smoothest of runs in that Open Maiden 1,400m contest.

He was obliged to race wide for most of the trip and looked to be floundering when the field negotiated that sweeping left-hander which brought them to the top of the home stretch.

That day, racegoers had sent him off as the $14 top pick and, for a while, their money looked cold.

Who would have expected the son of Swiss Ace to do anything from that awkward position? But, boy, did he surprise them.

With under a furlong to travel, April responded to jockey Simon Kok’s wake-up call and sprouted wings in the run home.

Taking the bit between his teeth, he hit the front at the 150m but had to contend with a determined challenge from Tantheman before prevailing by a nose.

That day, he had shown loads of promise but somehow, in six subsequent starts, he could not replicate that winning show.

Since transferring from Stephen Gray’s yard in October, 2023, April has yet to face the starter in 2024.

Ricardo Le Grange, who took over training duties, has been patient with the four-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding.

His trial on July 23 was only his second since “moving house” – but what a good trial it was.

Ridden by Bernardo Pinheiro, he cleared the chute nicely and led for a short distance until giving up the lead to Talkintalkin Power.

Into the straight and April was still in third spot – but under a good hold.

With no pace up front, the four-year-old managed to claim the lead at the 200m. He then cleared away to win by three parts of a length.

His time for the 1,000m was a pedestrian 1min 03.86sec. But there was clear intent in that win and it could mean that April is ready for his first foray in 2024.

From that same trial, mention must also go to the showing put in by runner-up Pacific Sonic. Like April, he was also doing his best work late.

Ridden by Daniel Moor, he tracked the lead all the way until the top of the home stretch, where he momentarily hit the front – only to be passed by April.

Trained by Tan Kah Soon, Pacific Sonic has three wins to show from 25 starts but he has been winless since Jan 6.

That said, and with the Pacific Stable firing on all cylinders, the five-year-old son of War should be given plenty of thought when he next goes to the races.

Pinheiro kept up the good work by taking out the second, and last, trial of the morning on Smart One.

The four-year-old Australian-bred gelding lived up to his name by making every post a winning one, clocking 1:01.44.

Clearing the gates nicely at the 1,000m, he was neatly into stride and, even under a good hold, managed to take the lead from Lucky Warrior – the mount of Manoel Nunes – and 77-point rater Sabah Ace, who was having a bleeders’ test after becoming undone in a race on April 21.

For the record, the David Kok-trained Sabah Ace passed his test and we could soon see the six-time winner back in action.

As for his showing in the trial, jockey Saifudin Ismail was content to guide him home safe and sound and they eventually finished a distant third.

On the day, however, it was all about Smart One.

His trial performance showed all is well again as memories of his horrendous outing on July 7, when trained by David Kok, remain fresh in racegoers’ minds.

Partnered by Jerlyn Seow in the Class 5 1,200m event, the $22 second pick did not get any favours in the running.

His misfortune began after the start when he was bumped heavily.

He then raced keenly and was again bumped around the 900m mark of the contest on the Polytrack.

He never recovered and finished eighth in that race won by Windfall.

Smart One is better than that. His maiden win, in a Class 5 1,200m race on Polytrack, on June 9 was something to savour.

Ridden by Pinheiro, he found the front soon after the start and never surrendered that lead.

Indeed, he seemed to get better as the race progressed and eventually took the honours by beating Golden Sentience by almost five lengths.

Mark him down as a horse to follow. On the strength of that win at the trials, his new handler Mahadi Taib must surely have big plans for this son of Snitzel.

brian@sph.com.sg