Veterans flex their muscles at trials

Do not knock the old-timers. They may be long in the tooth and they slouch a little in the parade ring.

But it is not that they are disinterested.

It is just that they have, so to speak, been there and done that.

Gold Reward and Fame Star fit the bill perfectly.

They are nine years old and eight years old respectively. But, when on the racetrack, they reinvent themselves.

Suddenly, it is like they hear bugles and they know what it means.

It is time to do battle.

So it was at the trials on Tuesday morning. Under a cloudy sky and running in separate trials, Gold Reward and Fame Star showed us that although they are getting on in years, they have still not lost their navigation.

Gold Reward was off first. Ridden by apprentice Roslan Nazam in Trial Two, he latched himself onto the withers of the leader, Briggs, and never surrendered a centimetre.

A furlong out and with Briggs waving the white flag, Gold Reward charged to the front.

Up in the saddle, the apprentice had a cushy time. Gold Reward knew just what to do and he carried Roslan to an easy 3½-length victory.

An American bred by Warrior’s Reward, the Chelsea Stable-owned galloper clocked 1min 01.73sec for the 1,000m journey.

It was not the fastest time of the morning, which saw five trials being run. But it certainly was the most comprehensive of victories.

Trainer Ricardo Le Grange, who has been in his corner since March 2021, will ensure that he is kept young forever.

Then, in the very next trial, we saw Fame Star throw in a punch for the wrinkled warriors.

The Group 2 winner from Stephen Crutchley’s barn dictated things from go to whoa and eventually consigned The August and Hamama to the ranks of the beaten brigade.

Ridden by Jeryln Seow, who scored a smashing win on stablemate Mesmerizing on opening day, Fame Star did not give the others a look-in.

Jockey Wong Chin Chuen, on The August, kept Fame Star busy all the way but never could throw in that knockout punch and eventually settled for second – by a ½-length.

Fame Star, who clocked 1min 04sec, has been a prolific moneyspinner for the Toast Trusts & Shane McDonnell Stable.

From nine wins dating back to April 2018, Fame Star has fattened the coffers to $758,000. And he is not done yet.

In the same trial, we saw Cyclone make an appearance.

Off the scene since running third to Hongkong Great in the Singapore Gold Cup on Nov 19, Cyclone was not out to blow anyone away.

Last of the nine runners on settling, he was kept wide and out of trouble when they negotiated that first left-hander.

Into the home stretch and he could still see them all.

But at the furlong mark, Manoel Nunes clicked him into action and Cyclone shifted to another gear.

Charging home like a hurricane whipping across the plains, he picked off his rivals one by one to eventually take fifth spot.

It will be interesting to see what he does when Tim Fitzsimmons sends him to the races in this new season.