By Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club
Trainer Jason Ong is hoping the step-up to 1600m will see So Hi Class bounce back to his best form this Saturday.
After taking over the training of the Irish-bred six-year-old from Michael Clements at the end of last season, the Singaporean handler has sent the six-time winner out for two unplaced starts.
Ong was anything but deflated, though, saying that the 1400m events were nice tune-ups that should bring his charge on nicely for Saturday’s assignment, the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over his pet trip, the mile.
“He’s a horse who is not anything less than a mile. The two 1400m he ran for me was to get him fit for this race, which will suit him better,” he said.
All of So Hi Class’s wins (including his maiden win in Malaysia when prepared by Kuala Lumpur trainer Mohd Sukri for the same global Kuwaiti outfit Al Rashid Stable) were recorded over 1600m bar his last win over 1800m on June 19.
It was that particular Class 3 victory where he claimed the scalp of Singapore Derby winner Hard Too Think that must have sparked more grandiose plans.
So Hi Class went for all three Group 1 majors that used to make up the Singapore Triple Crown series, the Raffles Cup (1600m), Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) and Singapore Gold Cup (2000m), but a closing third in the QEII Cup was to be his best effort.
On 80 points, So Hi Class is Ong’s highest rated customer after Mr Clint (also an Al Rashid stable transfer, but from Mark Walker) on 97 points, even if he might not necessarily have the class to mix it with the best.
“Last time when you are progressing towards those Kranji Stakes A, you can still win races, but the moment you get there, you are racing against all those good horses,” said Ong.
“He is racing against all those Group 1 winners, He’s not quite there, even if I feel he’s been running over the wrong distances.
“It won’t be an easy field on Saturday, especially with a horse like Katak, who has so far shown a lot of potential, but we’re confident So Hi Class will be a fitter horse third time out, fitness is definitely not an issue.
“He’s a horse who needs to be ridden behind, hopefully he will get into the right rhythm with a suitable pace to the race.
“It’s not a very big field. So, hopefully, it’s not a tactical race.”
Shrewd observers would have noticed So Hi Class was closer to the speed than usual at his last outing in a Class 1 race over 1400m, but Ong said there was a method in his madness.
“At his first run back, he sat back as he was coming off a spell after the Gold Cup and I didn’t want to change his racing pattern,” said Ong who also owns the Dark Angel six-year-old.
“At his second run, I told Zyrul (Nor Azman) to ride him on the pace just to get his fitness up. When you’ve got Ricardo Le Grange’s horses who are rock hard fit, in order to have a chance, you need to be up there early.
“He had a good blowout, and it’s brought him on. He hasn’t trained off since.”
Zyrul makes way for Mark Ewe this Saturday.
“Mark doesn’t ride a lot for me, but he often pops by the stable to ask me for trackwork rides, so I decided to put him on to let him have a go,” said Ong.
