Racing: Totality shows a return to form

Racing: Totality shows a return to form

Totality, trained by last Sunday's treble-winning Michael Clements, is steadily coming back to form.

The five-year-old New Zealand-bred took the fourth of six trials at Kranji yesterday in fine fashion and in the fastest time of the morning.

Ridden by jockey Manoel Nunes, the chestnut gelding sat in midfield before producing a top run from the midstraight to win by half a length from the promising Strubeli.

He clocked 1min 00.48sec for the 1,000m on the Polytrack.

The going was good.

Totality has yet to race this season, but, in his last start on Dec 15, he bounced back when third to Bahen in a Kranji Stakes B event over 1,200m on the Polytrack.

Before that, he did not lit the board from eight runs.

His last win - his fourth in 28 starts - came in the Group 3 Three Rings Trophy over 1,400m on Feb 17 last year.

From yesterday's trial win, he should be back in the winner's enclosure soon.

The trial results and comments:

TRIAL 1 (OFFICIAL)

1 Buzz Man (V Leal)
2 Shenzhou One (I Saifudin)
3 Grand Paris (D Flores)
4 Good Child (R Lim)
5 Demon King (D Beasley)
6 Assertive Lad (Z Zuriman)
7 Pujut Garden (R Zawari)

Margins and time: 1¼, nk, 1½, ½, 1, 3 (1min 04.19sec)

A fairly good start. Shenzhou One, Buzz Man and Good Child were the quickest.

Buzz Man kicked ahead and was about two lengths clear of Shenzhou One at the 600m mark. Good Child and Grand Paris were a length away. Assertive Lad was two lengths behind, followed by Demon King and Pujut Garden.

Buzz Man straightened up about three lengths in front of Shenzhou One. Grand Paris was next. Buzz Man maintained his nice lead at the 200m mark and kept on going to beat Shenzhou One by one and a quarter lengths.

TRIAL 2 (OFFICIAL)

1 Kiwi Karma (R Rueven)
2 Barnato (J Powell)
3 Rock Of Ages (B Vorster)
4 Mr California (I Santana)

Margins and time: 3½, ¾, 16½ (1:01.51)

Mr California missed the start and trailed badly throughout.

Kiwi Karma led and was about half a length in front of Barnato, who was racing with his mouth open, at the 600m mark. Rock Of Ages was a length behind. Mr California was a mile back.

Kiwi Karma led into the straight, with Barnato coming up to her outside. Although only a small-looking two-year-old filly, Kiwi Karma responded when asked at the 200m mark and pulled away from the strapping Barnato, who was not asked to do a lot. The winning time was a lot faster than the winner of first trial.

TRIAL 3 (TEST)

1 Flaming Fireheart (WL Hu)
2 Mastermind (Saifudin)
3 Paterson Road (L Allpress)
4 Battle Boy (S Sam)
5 Philip (Rueven)
6 Code Of Silence (K A'Isisuhairi)
7 Faithfully (O Chavez)

Margins and time: 3¼, 5, 2, 8¾, 10, 29½ (1:01.07)

A good start.

Mastermind (blinkers-pacifiers) streaked to the front. At the 600m mark, he was a length in front of Flaming Fireheart (blinkers). A gap of seven lengths came Paterson Road (blinkers), followed by Code Of Silence (pacifiers), Battle Boy (blinkers) and Philip (blinkers). Faithfully (starting stall), who lost his off-side iron at the jump, was restrained early and dropped back. He was eased up turning for home.

Flaming Fireheart joined Mastermind going into the straight and the pair were eight lengths clear of the next horse, Paterson Road. Flaming Fireheart was niggled a bit at the 200m mark and pulled away to win by three and a quarter lengths.

TRIAL 4 (PRACTICE)

1 Totality (M Nunes)
2 Strubeli (Allpress)
3 Fat Bobo (R Sazali)
4 Peaceful Warrior (Santana)
5 Huka Falls (C Brown)
6 My Son (H Amin)
7 Blue Lion (Powell)

Margins and time: ½, 1¼, nk, ½, 2¼, 6 (1:00.48)

The field started well.

Huka Falls started best and led by a length early. At the 600m mark, he was half a length of My Son, who was racing keenly with his head up. Strubeli and Totality were two lengths away. Three lengths behind came Fat Bobo wide and Blue Lion, with Peaceful Warrior going in between them.

My Son joined Huka Falls on straightening. Strubeli and Totality moved up shortly after to make it a line of four. Totality and Huka Falls broke away together from the 200m mark and Totality went on to win by half a length. Strubeli came home well for second.

TRIAL 5 (PRACTICE)

1 Straighttothepoint (Brown)
2 Tough Ruler (Vorster)
3 Bellus Wonder (Powell)
4 Joyful Heart Man (WL Tan)
5 Sir Fleetwood (Flores)
6 Zac Velocity

Margins and time: 1¾, 3½, ½, 1, 8 (1:01.82)

Tough Ruler jumped with the field but was a bit slow into stride.

A tight bunch early. Bellus Wonder then cruised up and was about a length in front of Straightothepoint at the 600m mark. Zac Velocity, Sir Fleetwood and Tough Ruler wide were another length behind. Joyful Heart Man was last, two lengths further back.

Bellus Wonder led into the straight but found Straightothepoint looming up on his inside. Tough Ruler was next. Straightothepoint hit the front at the 300m mark and cruised away to win easily by one and three-quarter lengths from Tough Ruler.

TRIAL 6 (PRACTICE)

1 Court Magician (Zuriman)
2 English Dream (A'Isisuhairi)
3 Angsana (Powell)
4 Disco (Allpress)
5 Destiny General (T See)
6 Hofburg Palace (Brown)
7 Desert Viking (TK Barnabas)
8 Wonder General (M Zaki)

Margins and time: ½, nk, 1½, ns, nk, 2¼, nk (1:01.62)

A good start. Five horses disputed the early lead. Destiny General then kicked slightly ahead but was joined by English Dream on his outside at the 600m mark. Court Magician, hugging the rail, and the grey Angsana were slightly over a length away. Hofburg Palace was two lengths behind, followed by Wonder General, Disco and Desert Viking wide.

As English Dream and Destiny General swung wide at the home turn, Court Magician slipped up on the shortest route home to take the lead. He then kicked clear. Although he was not tested thereafter, he went on to win from English Dream, who pulled his way up into second.

 


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