Popeyethesailorman flexes his muscles

Surely you remember how spinach helped Popeye – the cartoon character – bulk up. We also know that the green veggie gave him superhuman strength.

Well, that is how we remember that pipe-smoking sailor man.

Now it seems regular horse feed can do the trick – if you have four legs, a flowing mane and a tail.

Like Popeyethesailorman – the racehorse.

He was in action at the trials on Tuesday morning and, while we do not know if he had spinach for breakfast, it certainly looked that way.

After all, Popeyethesailorman was all macho and muscle and he gave his rivals a thrashing.

Here is how the bashing went.

Ridden by Louis-Philippe Beuzelin and jumping from the outermost gate, the Reward For Effort three-year-old settled in the slipstream of newcomer Smart Star.

But he soon got annoyed with the kickback and, approaching the 600m, he claimed the lead.

He was in his element and, even before the runners straightened for the run home, Popeyethesailorman had opened a two-length break which, from then on, began to grow.

Three lengths at the 400m mark. Five at the 300m mark.

In the saddle, the Frenchman was having fun as the sound of hooves from the chasing pack became almost indistinct.

A furlong out and he was off and gone. Home and hosed.

Popeyethesailorman just kept on going further and further ahead and, when the finish loomed, he had 10 lengths to spare from the second-placed runner, Smart Star, the mount of that other Frenchman, Marc Lerner.

Even when he was not ridden out over the concluding stages, Popeyethesailorman clocked 1min 00.87sec. If asked to go, he could easily have gone under one minute.

Smart One, ridden by A’Isisuhairi Kasim, claimed third with a late bid.

Both beaten horses are trained by David Kok.

Yes, on the day, there was only one winner. It was about the “sailor man”.

Recently transferred to Donna Logan for Joe Singh, Popeyethesailorman is overdue for a maiden win.

Then again, and in his defence, he has been to the races only six times when prepared by Tim Fitzsimmons.

Twice this season, he had to play bridesmaid – which must have been hard to take.

The first time it happened was on Jan 28. That day, when ridden by Manoel Nunes and punted down to $12, he encountered trouble near the top of the straight when held up by another runner.

Then, when he had extricated himself and was about to fashion a challenge, he lost his run and had to race wide.

By then, the winner Knippenberg and Ronnie Stewart were home and Nunes could only watch them go.

A fortnight later, on Feb 12, Popeyethesailorman had to once again settle for “silver”, this time beaten half a length by Bluejay.

Both defeats must have been tough to take – but there is a silver lining.

Logan must be smiling from ear to ear after Popeyethesailorman’s tour de force, as she dreams of that winning turn, which could come as early as at his next start.

In the other trial run on Tuesday morning, Golden Sixty-One took the honours when beating Supreme One by a neck.

Both are trained by Mahadi Taib and the winner clocked a slow 62.80sec.

Winless over 10 starts, Golden Sixty-One has had just one start this season. That was on Feb 16 and he finished seventh in that race won by Flak Jacket.

Bred in England, Golden Sixty-One had 11 starts in Ireland where he picked up prize money for finishing second on three occasions.

Mahadi has been patient with him and that win at the trials could be the start of something good.