Racing: Smart trio will first time out

Lively Dragon

March has been very much a coming-out party for trainer Leticia Dragon after LIVELY DRAGON became the second runner in a week from the Singaporean handler's yard to make a winning debut.

Her three-year-old gelding won the $65,000 Restricted Maiden event over 1,000m on the Polytrack in Race 2 on Sunday.

Seven days earlier, Dragon's Raise No Doubt scored a thumping victory in his first Kranji start, beating Windsor Knot by four and three-quarter lengths in an Initiation event over 1,000m on the Polytrack with John Powell astride.

Also with Powell aboard, Lively Dragon, a bay Australian-bred galloper, scored a fighting shorthead victory over Ninetysix Champ (Danny Beasley), with Kauri Park (apprentice Zuriman Zulkifli) a neck away in third.

The winning time was 1min 0.19sec on a rain-affected Polytrack with 57kg. (Raise No Doubt clocked 59.45sec with 55kg).

Heart Pumping

Unlike the previous Sunday's race, which was pretty much a foregone conclusion over the final 400m, this was a much closer affair, as Lively Dragon was a given a fright down the straight when Ninetysix Champ refused to quit and fought tooth-and-nail all the way to the winning post.

"That got my heart pumping quite a bit over the last 50m," said Dragon, who also endured a nervous moment when Powell fell off the $11 favourite as they were milling around the gates before the start of the race.

Thankfully, the Australian hoop was no worse for wear and, after dusting himself off, climbed back onto his mount, who was declared fit to race by the veterinary surgeon.

"He jumped well and got into a good position," said Powell, of his 15th winner of the season.

"I gave him a hit and he kicked on nicely in the straight, and I knew we always had the better of Danny despite him coming up on our inside.

Will Improve

"It was his first start, but he fought really well and he will improve, and this horse will win a few races."

Dragon was particularly pleased with the way the Friendship Stable-owned galloper did not buckle under pressure and responded well to the late charge from the more experienced Ninetysix Champ, who already had three starts under his belt and had threatened to break his duck in each of them.

"I'm very happy with the way he battled under pressure," said Dragon.

"He gave a big performance at the trials recently, so I had a bit of expectation for him ahead of today's race.

"He was purchased by Kathy Hughes (an Australian trainer based in Malaysia who has since returned home) and, when she left, the owners brought their horses down from Malaysia to Singapore and sent quite a few over to me.

"So I'm delighted to get this win for them and thank them for their support.

"I've got a few young horses coming through and I'm looking forward to doing well this year."

Millitary Alliance

A brand new partnership forged after last year's Singapore Airlines International Cup was given a major boost when MILITARY ALLIANCE stormed to an impressive win in the $55,000 Class 4 race over 1,600m in Race 3 on Sunday.

The Irish-bred four-year-old gelding by Oasis Dream dons the same lime green silks that was carried to an emphatic win by Military Attack in last year's International Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup over 2,000m, as they are both raced by Hong Kong owner Steven Lo.

While jockey Manoel Nunes was not aboard the John Moore-trained Military Attack in that famous win last May, (Zac Purton was), he was the one who played a key role in sparking Lo's idea of spreading his wings to Kranji.

After Nunes recommended trainer Michael Freedman to Lo, the deal did not take long to be inked between the pair, with Military Alliance and Military Tactic being shipped over from Ireland and Australia, respectively.

Lengthened Strides

After a first-up run over an unsuitable 1,200m trip, Military Alliance, who has scored over 2000m on the all-weather track at Lingfield in UK, was a lot more at home over the Polytrack mile in his second Singapore outing.

Bustled up early by Nunes, Military Alliance ($28) speared over from his wide draw (11) to take a seat outside the early leader U Got It (Tan Wei Li). He camped in that spot till the field straightened up, when he started to lengthen strides after being given some rein.

Favourite Adrenaline (Corey Brown) was not to be outdone, though. The Bruce Marsh-trained last-start winner launched a stinging attack down the middle of the track.

But Military Alliance was equal to the task as he raised another gallop to rally home by one and a quarter lengths.

Lucky Stable's Smileswithhiseyes (apprentice Noh Senari), another Irish-bred, improved from his debut sixth to run third, a length away.

The winning time was 1min 39.27sec.

Delight

Nunes could not hide his delight after winning aboard a horse he was instrumental in bringing to these shores.

"I've ridden many winners for Mr Lo, both in Macau and Hong Kong. The two Moore brothers, John and Gary, were the trainers," said Nunes.

"I helped him get in touch with Michael when he said he was keen to send horses here. The other horse, Military Tactic, has done well too, running a very good second to Gold Dancer in his second start.

"I'm very happy I was able to ride a first winner for Mr Lo."

Nunes, who has been the only jockey to ride Lo's two horses, both in trackwork and in races, said he was confident Military Alliance would be right in the mix in his second run, given the rise in distance and the switch to a surface he handled well.

"I've watched his videos when he won over 2,000m in UK and I found out he likes to be there on the pace," said the Brazilian jockey, who leads the Singapore jockey's table on 28 wins.

Indian Jade

The new Lucky Stable-Michael Freedman tie-up continued their promising partnership with their second victory in a week, after INDIAN JADE showed dazzling form to claim the $55,000 Open Benchmark 67 event over 1,100m in Race 5 on Sunday.

Like his stablemate Holy Warrior, the UK-bred gelding kicked off his Kranji career in stunning fashion with a winning debut performance by outclassing the field with a one and a half-length victory over My Shine (Soo Khoon Beng). He clocked 1min 05.52sec.

The four-year-old by Sleeping Indian joined the Australian handler's yard less than three months ago, and is the second recruit from the famed Lucky Stable outfit run by Robert Ng, son of late property tycoon Ng Teng Fong.

"I was a bit unsure if the 1,100m on the Polytrack would be a bit sharp for him today," said Freedman, who nevertheless retains a high opinion of Indian Jade and has entered the bay galloper for the upcoming $3 million International Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup over 2,000m on May 18.

Has Potential

"He was chased down a bit half-way into the race but he came back to finish strongly. That suggests that he could step up in distance and compete in some better quality races in the future. He's obviously done well as a two-year-old, so he has the ability and potential."

Indian Jade made a promising start in 2012 as a two-year-old in England for Irish trainer Kevin Ryan, scoring in his first two runs in Beverley and Pontefract before running third in a Group 1 race in France, the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1,400m) at Longchamp.

From his six starts in Europe, he earned US$111,381 (S$140,000) in prize money.

But, the horse completely lost his way when he was shipped to Hong Kong to pursue his career with acclaimed trainer Tony Cruz.

In his two starts in Sha Tin, which were four months apart (July and November 2013), he finished 10th on both occasions.

Sparkled

Said Freedman: "I didn't know what to expect from him today and I wasn't sure what happened in his last two starts. But he impressed us with his track work and did okay in trials the other day."

Although drawn in the widest barrier on Sunday, Indian Jade did not just glimmer, he sparkled.

Ridden by Nathan Berry, he showed speed to claim a mid-field position and, despite racing wide, had enough in the tank to storm past a fading Southern Boss in the final 50m for the win.

The victory was sweet vindication not just for Indian Jade, whose form had been in the doldrums, but also for his Australian pilot.

Berry has yet to win since making a dream debut on the Freedman-trained Serpico on March 2. The Sydney rider is on a four-month stint in Singapore.

For good measure, he rode a second winner aboard the Cliff Brown-trained Shin Goong in the last race.

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