Trainer Steven Burridge could be happier with Lim’s Racer’s condition as the former top two-year-old filly makes her racing comeback in the $60,000 RDA Cup 2017 (1200m) this Sunday, but still expects her to run well first-up.
The daughter of Red Giant has not raced since her catastrophic run in the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1200m) in July when she bombed the start and was out of play there and then.
She eventually ran a long last to Mystic Master, a result which was at opposite pole of her run in the other juvenile feature, the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) which she won hands down three weeks earlier.
Upon jumping off, jockey Danny Beasley even tried to have her Juvenile Championship run annulled on the grounds of being denied a fair start, but his application was turned down.
“She reared up at her last start and was left 10 lengths behind. That was pretty much the end of her race,” recalled Burridge.
“There was a horse next to her who kicked in the gates and that may have stirred her up. She’s pretty flighty.
“Anyway, she’s been spelled since and it’s her first run back this Sunday.”
The Australian handler has put a line through that Juvenile Championship anticlimactic run and has given the Lim’s Stable-owned filly, who is one of three nominees for the Singapore Champion Two-Year-Old title up for grabs at the Singapore Racing Awards next Tuesday, all the time in the world to get back into full swing, though he felt she was not quite there yet.
“She’s got a good bit of ability and has come back in good order. She went all right at a barrier trial and actually won it,” he said.
“She’s still not at her top, though. She’s a natural galloping filly and whatever she does this Sunday, she will improve from it.”
At the barrier trial on December 29, Lim’s Racer looked like she would settle for second place to stablemate Autumn Rush (Glen Boss) for most of the straight only to quicken though late to win by three parts of a length under A’Isisuhairi Kasim, her winning partner at her crushing five-length maiden win in June.
Beasley keeps the ride in the RDA Cup where Lim’s Racer has, however, drawn off the track in barrier No 11, and will run up against Class 4 gallopers such as Sun Mirage, Rainbow Royal and Lucky Stable newcomer Gannet among others.
The quality of the opposition is likely to improve significantly in the months to come with Burridge having already set her on a more ambitious, but logical path this term.
“She will obviously go for the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge. That is her main goal this prep,” said Burridge.
“We will see how she goes in the first Leg and then take it race by race.”
The Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge is made up of three Legs, which kicks off with the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m) on March 26, followed by the Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) on April 14 and the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) on May 14.
Meanwhile, Burridge will also be busy on another front with Elite Excalibur due for his next Dubai run very soon.
After getting hamstrung in a bit of traffic in the Meydan straight, the Fastnet Rock four-year-old went on to run a creditable fifth to Godolphin runner Flash Fire at his Dubai debut in the US$135,000 Longines Dolce Vita (1400m) last Thursday.
Rodd copped a two-day suspension for allowing Elite Excalibur to shift out and bump a few runners. He can only resume riding after January 20 and should be available to take the ride at his second Dubai outing.
“Elite has pulled up well and will run in an 1800m race in two weeks’ time on January 26,” said Burridge.
“Michael will be back from his suspension and will take the ride again.”
– Singapore Turf Club
