Be wary of Mr Black Back

Kranji’s got talent. That, you had better believe.

Take Sunday’s card. We have the Group 1 Singapore Derby and the Group 3 Singapore Golden Horseshoe.

The former is a $400,000 race over 1,800m for four-year-olds and the latter a $110,000 race over 1,200m for two-year-olds.

Wait, that is not all.

The 10th race on the 12-race programme is also something to savour. It is the $85,000 Class 2 race over the 1,400m.

And it also features some of the better-known talents now residing at Kranji.

There is Lucky Jinsha, who has won eight races. Kharisma, a winner of 10.

Then there is Wealth Elite. He has won six times and Pacific Emperor, who is shooting for four-from-four.

In the midst of all that talent, there is Mr Black Back.

The son of Snitzel comes into the reckoning on the back of a win over the mile. That was on June 11.

But, closer to the present, we have that trial on Tuesday morning.

Mr Black Back did not smother his rivals to win that Polytrack 1,000m hit-out.

He did not even finish second. He took third in that trial won by Bernardo Pinheiro on Sacred Gift.

But, he was not even asked to win it. Up in the saddle, Manoel Nunes was having a sedan-chair ride over the final furlong.

There was no persuader. No scrubbing, no slapping.

Simply put, Nunes allowed Mr Black Back to cruise to the line to take third, three lengths behind second-placed Luxury Brand, the mount of Yusoff Fadzli.

But it was still a good trial. Mr Black Back did all the work for 800m of the 1,000m gallop.

Jumping from the innermost chute, he took the lead and, when the field made that first turn on the far side, Mr Black Back had Luxury Brand, Sacred Gift and Jewel Sixty-One (Marc Lerner) getting all the dirt kicked in their faces.

Having secured the run nearest the rails, Mr Black Back was cruising at the 300m mark.

But, as we now know, his work was done, and that third placing was a satisfactory result.

Trainer Richard Lim, who only recently took charge of Mr Black Back from Tim Fitzsimmons, would have had no complaints.

Indeed, and while we are not privy to the report Nunes would have given him, we reckon it would have been heartening. Sunday’s trip will suit Mr Black Back.

He has won over that distance and, last time, he gave his rivals a galloping lesson when leading all the way over the mile for his third success from nine Kranji starts.

It is not going to be easy but Mr Black Back has enough races under his belt and we should see him stare down his rivals.

And not blink.

Well, even as Mr Black Back finished in third place, Lim did saddle a winner.

Indeed, he also rode the winner.

V’Invincible, who has yet to be showcased in a race, came from third at the 600m and second at the furlong mark to beat Shihab by half a length in the second heat.

Magic Master, who is also prepared by Lim and who dictated the early proceedings, stayed on for third.

He lost out to Shihab by half a length.

A son of I Am Invincible, V’Invincible has been a regular at the trials and Tuesday’s effort was his fourth since June 15.

For the record, the four-year-old has looked better with every appearance.

V’Invincible finished fifth on June 15. He then took third on June 22 and was runner-up to impressive debut winner, Akhtar, on July 6.

Right now, he looks good to go. Keep him on your shortlist.

Watch out also for Lim’s other runner in the trial, Magic Master.

Before the start, the three-year-old broke through the gates and galloped for about 200m before being reined in by Bernardo Pinheiro.

Passed fit by the vet, he took his place in the trial.

For the better part of 800m, he held the pack at bay, leading them on a merry chase.

Unfortunately, and because of his fractiousness at the start, he will have to undergo another test before being allowed to race.

Lim’s other runner – yes, he had three in the trial – Thunder Legend,was fourth after being in the lead group for most of the trip.

Another one who was previously with Fitzsimmons, he has a date with the starter in Race 2 on Sunday and he might be worth plenty of thought.

With a second place finish from just three starts, Thunder Legend is closing in for a big show, and there could not be a better day to get it done than on Derby Day.