Group racing returns to Kranji on Sunday, 23 April, with the running of the $150,000 Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1400m). This week’s feature race will be a good guide for the upcoming Four-Year-Old Challenge Series as two talented four-year-olds stand out.
Last season’s champion three-year-old GOLDEN MONKEY, who returned to his best in a Kranji Stakes A over 1200m last start after an excusable first run for 2023, has proven himself to be a top-class performer since his third-place finish in the G1 Lion City Cup last year.
25th March 2023 – Raffles Cup Day 🇸🇬
RACE 10
🥇 Golden Monkey
O: Jig Racing / Elvin Racing
T: @Timfitz16Racing
J: @simon951008#SGRacing @SGTurfClub pic.twitter.com/ooOODcdcRV— Kranji Racing TV (@KranjiRTV) March 25, 2023
The Tim Fitzsimmons-trained talent will relish the rise in distance as his most impressive win was in the G2 Three-Year-Old Classic over this distance last season. Another for Fitzsimmons, Mr Black Back can give a sight with just an 50kg impost, but he’ll need to be rated better than in recent starts when left without a finish.
Trainer Jason Lim’s best horse SUPER SALUTE, who has been unstoppable at his last five starts since a luckless fourth on debut in September last year, is clearly GOLDEN MONKEY’S main danger. Both horses are ideally placed at the weights under this week’s handicap conditions and tactics and luck in running look to be the decisive factors.
Elsewhere, promising four-year-old CITY GOLD STAR can go one place better second-up in the $50,000 Class 4 Handicap over 1100m on the Polytrack.
A one-time winner with two placings from seven starts in Australia, CITY GOLD STAR caught the eye with a slashing second on his local debut two weeks ago, suggesting he is ideally placed in this class and can break through swiftly. He had excuses on debut: away awkwardly and subsequently travelling wide throughout, but ate up the ground late and looked a good thing beat.
CITY GOLD STAR is open to any amount of improvement second-up and in what appears a below-par Class 4 field, he can prove hard to beat with champion jockey Manoel Nunes remaining in the saddle
