By Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club
Promising three-year-old Alqantur showed his impressive Restricted Maiden win from four weeks ago was no fluke after he franked that form with a two-from-two on Saturday.
The Star Turn three-year-old was without much surprise the odds-on favourite on $8 in the $75,000 Novice race over 1400m, but the jaws of defeat did come flirting a little closer this time.
Giving the stare to another debut winner in War Commander (Manoel Nunes), the stage was all set for another rout when he seemed to be towing himself to the line, but unlike the first run, he couldn’t quite lose the swoopers this time.
While War Commander was already running on fumes, Deception (Jerlyn Seow Poh Hui), Chivalric Knight (Oscar Chavez) and Mariana Trench (Simon Kok Wei Hoong) came snapping at Alqantur’s heels.
More worryingly, the hotpot seemed to be going up and down on the same spot, but under jockey Louis-Philippe Beuzelin’s trademark vigorous riding, a clearer margin eventually started to take shape.
The Al Rashid Stable-owned chestnut finally hit top gear to go and salute one length clear of Deception with Chivalric Knight and Mariana Trench another head away in third and fourth place respectively. The winning time was 1min 22.05secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
Clements saw plenty of merit in the second win considering he was entitled to peter out of it after a tough trip matching motors with War Commander for most of the race.
“It was a strong-paced race, and I thought he looked vulnerable when he hit the front too early,” said the 2020 Singapore champion trainer.
“He again looked vulnerable at the 200m but he dug deep and started to pull away. He was doing his best work towards the end.
“I feel he can improve further after that win, but he’s definitely a horse with qualities and I can set him for the three-year-old races later, as well as Mariana Trench.
“He was ridden upside down last time, not ridden particularly well, but he ran much better today, and that was a good Novice field.
“We feel he’d be better off gelded, but we’d like to see a win first.”
Beuzelin, who was also aboard Alqantur on debut, was all buzzed up about his future as a racehorse at Kranji.
“We’ve always thought highly of this horse since last year, even before the trials,” said the French jockey.
“But Michael and I had to show a lot of patience. We prepared him until he was ready, and he has showed us his best at every run.
“Today, he was very easy, bringing me into the race. He was looking at War Commander all the time even though he had the winkers on.
“He doesn’t wear them during trackwork as we feel he will perform better with them on in a race.”
The Al Rashid Stable-owned galloper has now made around $80,000 in stakes money from Alqantur’s two wins.
