Logan lines up dream team

After saddling a well-deserved and long-time coming double last Sunday with Elliot Ness and May to take her 2023 tally to 22 winners, Donna Logan could find herself raising a toast to a few more successes on Sunday.

Yes, the good work can continue.

Kranji’s sole woman trainer has entered a small team of just six runners for Sunday’s action.

They are spread over four of the 12 races and, yes, it is a tight and taut half-dozen.

All have shown ability. Indeed, three of the sextet finished second in their last starts, while one had to settle for third.

It must have been frustrating then. But it all could change for the better with her horses in form.

All her six entries were out on the training track at Kranji on Tuesday morning, but the quartet who stood out were Charminton, Fadaboy, January and Knippenberg.

Charminton, January and Knippenberg were all beaten into second place the last time they were raced.

Fadaboy was the one who took third in that race won by Bransom on July 30.

With two wins to his credit, he is striving towards a third and his work on the training track could not be faulted.

Ridden by apprentice jockey Jamil Sarwi, Fadaboy skipped over the 600m in 38.8sec.

It was a dogged piece of work which suggests Fadaboy could win with the improvement.

Racing in the colours of Patrick Harrison, Fadaboy’s wins were spaced out over a year.

He scored on debut. That was on July 24, 2022.

Five third-place finishes followed before he picked up his second success.

Then came the heartbreak – again – when beaten into third spot in that race won by Bransom.

That was then. Now is now, and Logan has picked a good race for her five-year-old.

It is a Class 4 sprint over the Poly 1,100m – just what Fadaboy likes – and it looks like a level playing field.

Stablemate Entertainer, who galloped in 39.9 with Yusoff Fadzli astride, is engaged in the same race.

As for the three who had to play bridesmaid last time, there was little to separate them on their work ethic.

Charminton had Yusoff in the saddle when disposing of the 600m in 38.4.

Simon Kok partnered January in his workout, clocking 40.4 for the trip, while Knippenberg ran out the distance in 39.3.

Owned by the Falcon Racing No. 7 Stable, which won last Sunday’s Race 2 with newcomer May, January could have his Thai owners posing for photos on Sunday.

He is racing in the Class 3 race over 1,200m. Stablemate Reignite (39.1) is in the race, too.

A son of Swiss Ace, January arrived unraced from New Zealand in March 2022.

After a couple of trials, Logan tossed him into the deep end.

He was not swamped. Indeed, he took third. That was in September.

A month later saw him finish second behind Dream Alliance.

The writing was on the wall. That first win was coming.

On Oct 22, when backed down to $7, January made good on that early promise to put his first success on the board.

He would go on to add two more victories, one of them being the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1,200m) on April 8.

January is a horse going places and again, it is a winnable sort of race which Logan has picked out for her just-turned four-year-old.

As for Knippenberg, we have not yet seen the best from him.

The son of I Am Invincible was a good thing beaten when second to City Gold Star on July 23.

That day, when ridden by Manoel Nunes, he was parked just off the speed for most of the 1,200m trip on grass and only came on over the final furlong.

Alas, on the day, the momentum was with City Gold Star, who coasted in by a length.

The Fortuna Racing Stable, which took last Sunday’s opening event with Elliot Ness, could have a lot of fun with Knippenberg, who is engaged in the Class 4 Division 1 event over 1,200m.

To date, he has picked up two wins from six outings.

His earnings are already in the six figures. There is more to come.

Then there is Charminton.

He had a glorious second half of the 2022 season, winning three races, all over the 1,200m.

However, he has been rather subdued this season. Or, maybe, unlucky is the word.

His eight runs since Feb 12 have produced a third and three runner-up spots, including that last-start second to Bestseller on July 23.

Owned by the Te Akau Racing Stable, the five-year-old will see action in the Class 4 Division 2 sprint over the 1,200m on grass.

It is to be run over the long course and we could see a big finish by Charminton.

Yes, with what looks like a dream team, Logan could be in for a good meeting – even sweeter than the one just concluded.

Tuesday's gallops:  trackwork09.pdf