Strong Ace only in trials
A maiden in 26 runs, Swiss Ace 4YO can find the line, but when it matters less
One of the best workers at the June 27 Kranji barrier trials was actually a last-minute walk-in who has yet to greet the judge in 26 starts.
Trial No. 3 was more of a make-up session for Strong Ace, following his scratching from the Open Maiden (1,200m) on June 30.
Trainer Mahadi Taib had not been holding his breath about the Swiss Ace four-year-old breaking his duck at his 27th start, but still did the right thing by the horse.
The all-the-way win in the smart time of 1min 00.92sec under Saifudin Ismail was a welcome bonus, even if it would not alter his maiden record or improve the Singaporean trainer’s own paltry score of only two wins in 2024.
“He was not fully recovered from a recent issue. The vet had to scratch him,” said Mahadi.
“I think that’s why his last two runs had been rather poor. I know he hasn’t shown much, but he did run okay a few times.
“He actually trials well, like he did this morning. But he does not reproduce it in his races.”
In nine trials, Strong Ace has finished out of the placings only once, winning twice – all at odds with his race record of 26-0-2-3.
With just over three months left before Singapore racing disappears, Mahadi is not too hopeful about leaving his unenviable last spot among the 16 Kranji trainers.
“It’s been tough. But we’ve also been unlucky with 10 seconds and 12 placings,” he said.
“It proves that some of the horses are running well in their classes, but just needed a bit of luck.
“Horses like Mr Big Brother, Nimbus Star and Tax Free ran second and third so many times.”
Following Strong Ace’s exit from the June 30 card, Tax Free will be with Top Confidence his only two runners.
No strong case can be made for either, but neither Mahadi is giving up on his current string of 18 horses – including the doyen and highest rater on 48, 10YO Qaraat, who gave him his only two 2024 wins – even with the impending closure knocking on the door.
“I don’t have champions, but they’re sound and we can only hope. We do our job,” he said.
“Tax Free was caught wide at his last two starts. He is drawn slightly better (six). Of the two, he may have a small chance.”
No such doom and gloom at the more powerful yards of the other two trial winners, Tim Fitzsimmons’ Ben’s Champion and Richard Lim’s Sky Eye, even if the clock ticks for them, too.
In the opener, Ben’s Champion (Manoel Nunes) tracked stablemate Eruption (Ryan Curatolo) throughout, lunging late to touch him off by a nostril.
The all-the-way 1-2 quinella scenario worked better in the next barrier trial. Sky Eye (Bruno Queiroz) led Ricardo Le Grange’s newcomer Goldenfield (Bernardo Pinheiro) throughout, even if the seven-year-old veteran of nine wins was surprisingly green late.
At the 150m, the son of Per Incanto suddenly strode short. When Queiroz pulled the whip, he took corrective action, and held Goldenfield at bay by 1¼ lengths.
It has been more than a year since Sky Eye’s last win in a Class 1 (1,200m) on May 20, 2023.
But that jolt he got in the concluding stages of that trial may well be the wake-up call he needed.
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