The day trainer Stephen Gray had been waiting for is finally here – Hard Too Think will get to show his wares in a true staying test.
As early as the All Too Hard four-year-old’s maiden win at his second outing in September when he made all in a Restricted Maiden race over 1400m, Gray had already touted him as a Singapore Derby horse.
Devising a programme tailored towards longer trips since, Gray was proven right in his foresight when Hard Too Think recorded a slashing win under Marc Lerner in a Polytrack 1700m race in Class 4 company on February 27.
But Gray wants to push the envelope further – to him, the acid test goes beyond 1700m. A long-time advocate of more stamina events programmed in Singapore, the New Zealander was not about to let Saturday’s $50,000 Class 4 race over 2000m slip on by.
With the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m) due in two months’ time on July 27, time is not exactly running out, but Hard Too Think’s rating of 62 is still south of the cut-off.
“I don’t know why we don’t have more races over 2000m here. Take a look at that 2000m race tomorrow, it’s a very good betting field, a very good betting staying race,” said Gray who has again booked Lerner for the ride.
“Hard Too Think is a young horse who can stay. He’s by All Too Hard and is bred on the dam side to stay (Hussonet mare Mnemonic).
“I have to give him a try over more ground – you don’t know until you try.
“He’s a nice genuine horse who is lightly-raced. He has gone through his grades, and now he gets his chance to run against more seasoned stayers, there are a couple of handy runners in there.
“If he doesn’t stay, we move on and find other races for him, but if he does, we can then look at the Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) later in the year, he may get in with a light weight.
“Right now, he needs to pick up on his ratings, and hopefully he can make it for the Derby. That’s been the pipedream for him.”
Gray said Hard Too Think’s last-start second to King’s Command from a wide alley in a Class 4 turf mile was another clue he will stay all day.
“It was a terrific run from a wide draw,” he said.
“He did all the donkey work to track the leader, and was beaten by a very smart horse in the end.
“I like horses who try hard. I have really looked after this horse.”
Gray saddles a second runner in King’s Speech in the Class 3 race. Two years ago, the son of Darci Brahma was in a similar Derby mix, but unfortunately, ended up as a standby starter in the edition won by Sun Marshal.
King’s Speech has, however, fluffed his lines at his next dozen of starts, with his rating nosediving from an all-time high of 75 to 63, but his last-start closing fifth to Michael Clements’ staying mare Voluminous (also in Saturday’s race) in a Class 4 race over 1800m on May 1 has reignited some hope.
“Weight stops trains. With the lightweight (53kgs down to 50kgs after Iskandar Rosman’s three-kilo claim), he’s definitely in with a good chance,” said Gray.
– Singapore Turf Club
