By Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club
On a day that generally favoured well-backed runners, Manoel Nunes got two of them home on Sunday – favourites Sky Eye and Fireworks.
The Brazilian ace proved again he seldom fluffs his lines when entrusted with a top fancy, giving both Sky Eye ($12) and Fireworks ($8) the well-judged steers he is known for.
In the third event, the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1000m, Nunes could be seen scrubbing Sky Eye up from his wide alley to secure the lead, which once secured, would lead to a one-way traffic for the Per Incanto five-year-old prepared by Jason Lim.
Happy Moment (Oscar Chavez) and Lim’s Passion (Danny Beasley) had a shot at cutting him back, but were both left chasing shadows with the former gaining the runner-up spot 2 ½ lengths away with Lim’s Passion in third place another three parts of a length away. The winning time was 59.43 seconds for the Polytrack 1000m.
Formerly prepared by Leticia Dragon, Jerome Tan and Kuah Cheng Tee, Sky Eye, who is now owned by GC Gan, has now amassed around $190,000 in prizemoney earned from his four wins and 11 placings from 23 starts.
“Last time, there was speed in the race and we sat at the back, but today from the wide draw, we had to press forward,” said Nunes.
“Once he was in front, he controlled the pace and was too good. It’s my first win for Jason, hopefully, there’ll be more in the future.”
Four races later, Nunes was just as effective switching to quieter tactics aboard Fireworks in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 2 race (1400m).
The hotpot was never going to get beaten once he found galloping room between runners at the 400m. Tim Fitzsimmons’s six-year-old by Ekraar drew clear to beat Eunos Ave Three (Shafrizal Saleh) by just under three lengths with Hidden Promise (Jerlyn Seow Poh Hui) third another three-quarter length away.
Fireworks clocked 1min 22.92secs for the 1400m on the Long Course to take his record to five wins and five placings from 35 starts for stakes earnings that have now tipped over the $100,000 mark for the Buffalo Stable.
In seven races run, four of them were favourites, two were second favourites with Winning Hobby (Mohd Zaki) the one with the “longest odds” at $41 in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1200m.
