Singapore racing continues on Saturday (25 March) for a 12-race turf and dirt fixture at Kranji Racecourse, highlighted by the running of the $300,000 Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m).
Star five-year-old and last year’s Horse of the Year LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO returns to action in the feature event and will aim to add a third Group 1 win to his name.
Since his failure in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint in December last year, LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO has wasted no time returning to his best when claiming the G3 Merlion Trophy over 1200m on the Polytrack in emphatic fashion last start. Simply making it a one-act affair on his first race start on the alternative racing surface, the Daniel Meagher-trained gelding looked every bit the winner throughout, drawing away in the straight to score by 2.5 lengths effortlessly.
Standing out as the highest rated horse in this week’s feature, LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO is ideally placed under the Weight For Age conditions. However, it doesn’t look to be a walk in the park for the multiple G1 winner as trainer Ricardo Le Grange’s formidable duo, KATAK and HONGKONG GREAT, can test his mettle as they are ready to hit peak form.
Elsewhere, promising four-year-old GOLDEN MONKEY gets his chance to score a first-up win when he returns to action in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m on turF.
Last year’s Champion Three-Year-Old, GOLDEN MONKEY is first-up off a 61-day break after an excusable last-start ninth-place where he endured a tough trip racing wide and without cover for throughout after jumping from a wide draw. On Saturday, barrier 1 should ensure GOLDEN MONKEY benefits from a more economical run, while accounting for jockey Simon Kok’s 1kg claim means he carries an advantageous weight of 51kgs. His main danger, KING ARTHUR, who has also drawn well in barrier 3, has to lump 57.5kgs.
Looking well in his most recent trial, GOLDEN MONKEY appears ready to show up in the similar vein for form when runner-up to LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO on his final start of 2022
