An eye-catching come-from-behind barrier trial win last week bodes well for The Executioner’s first Kranji win at his return from a freshen-up this Saturday.
Bringing up the rear for assistant-trainer and former jockey Richard Lim in Thursday’s 1000m hitout, The Executioner, who was sporting blinkers for the first time, quickly scooted around from the 600m before mowing his six rivals down to score going away.
“His pattern is to always drop at the back, because he can jump out a bit slow at times,” said trainer Jason Lim (of no relation to Richard).
“In three months, he’s done it a couple of times, so the blinkers will hopefully sharpen him up.
“He trialled great with them last week (September 23), he’s well and fresh. He’ll still have to be at his best to score.”
While the former Victorian two-time winner previously trained by Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young is yet to open his local account in six starts, his five closing runs – which yielded three placings – have been encouraging without being jaw-dropping, the only blemish a muddling sixth in a Class 4 race over Polytrack 1200m.
Ironically it was at one of his two fourths that he arguably produced his best performance – a daring Group 2 raid in the Stewards’ Cup (1400m) on July 3.
Up against the likes of Mr Malek (the winner), Big Hearted and Kharisma at level weights, most thought a Class 4 galloper like The Executioner was the one facing a firing squad.
Who dares doesn’t always win. The Executioner didn’t turn giant-killer, but he still ran out of his skin for a highly-laudable fourth place to the above trio (in that finishing order).
“The Stewards’ Cup field wasn’t too strong. It was only a nine-horse field,” said Lim.
“He has run in Listed races back home, even if he hasn’t won. So we thought we’d take a chance in a Group race here, against his own age group, and he measured up quite well.
“The connections were very happy with his run. He’s syndicated to 30 local owners, a mixture of experienced owners and newbies.”
Lim and the Define Stable took a leap of faith in the Stewards’ Cup for a gamble which might not have come off, but Lim felt he was closer to hitting paydirt than he’d ever been with the Australian-bred More Than Ready five-year-old.
The Singaporean handler astutely backed him off, built him back up again, and has picked this Saturday’s $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1400m to get him back on the road. Danny Beasley who was aboard at the last four starts, gets the gig again.
While Lim is hoping The Executioner will be more lethal this time, another one of his soon-to-be resuming gallopers was in no mood to hang around at a barrier trial on Thursday, Takhi.
The US-bred four-year-old by Bahamian Squall has never been able to replicate his surprise debut win in February 2020 in 15 subsequent starts, to the point his handicap has slipped from 55 to 47 after his last-start defeat in a Class 5 race over 1400m on June 19, but the six-length romp at the trials has given Lim and the Secondtonone Stable a glimmer of hope.
“Takhi was impressive at the trials yesterday (Thursday). I thought he would need the run, and I actually told Oscar to sit handy and let down in the home straight,” said Lim.
“But they took off early, and I was quite surprised by the way he kicked clear in the end.
“He’s back from a minor hiccup, a throat issue, which has now fully healed. I’m planning to race him in a Class 5 over 1200m Polytrack in two weeks’ time (October 16).”
– Singapore Turf Club
