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It was billed as a match race but Speedy Cat proved a giant killer with his victory in the Group 3 $200,000 Merlion Trophy over 1200m on Friday night.
Ridden by Manoel Nunes, Speedy Cat ($80) scored a half-length victory from Emerald Hill (Saifudin Ismail) with Super Easy (Joao Moreira) two-and-three-quarter lengths away in third place.
Speedy Cat stopped the clock at 1min 10.89secs for the 1200m, more than one second outside of Rocket Man’s track record.
Speedy Cat (Manoel Nunes) gets the better of Emerald Hill (Saifudin Ismail, obscured) to land the
Merlion Trophy.
The win of Speedy Cat provided trainer Alvin Tan with his first feature race success and also his 100th victory at Kranji after commencing training in 2009.
The race was expected to be a match race between Super Easy – the $10 favourite – and Huka Falls (Danny Beasley) which was punted down late to run the $14 second elect.
Huka Falls led the way over Emerald Hills with Super Easy being ridden along at certain stages to stay in contact with the two leaders.
Speedy Cat, which had been a little slow to jump from the barriers, settled at the tail of the field in the early stages before Nunes gradually saved ground towards the inside before the hometurn.
Huka Falls was quickly collared by Emerald Hills with Super Easy trying to raise a challenge three wide early in the straight. Speedy Cat had made ground to fourth position early in the home running and started to burst through the pack.
Emerald Hills tried valiantly to hold out Speedy Cat who has shown his ability over a longer trip previously and was able to wear down the gallant on-pace performer.
Super Easy, who had had enough on the line, was just able to hold out Huka Falls which rallied again in the straight while Ghozi rattled home from last on the honmeturn to finish fifth.
Tan was over the moon with the success of Speedy Cat and more importantly to notch his 100th win in such a big race.
“This is my first Cup race and to get my 100th win is such a great thrill,” said Tan.
“We spoke about the race and thought there would be a lot of pace. I just said to the jockey to ride him quietly and let him finish off.
“I was really worried about Super Easy. We had lost to him a few times before and I knew what a good horse he is.
“Huka Falls is an up-and-coming horse who was getting weight from us. I was also worried about him.
“I’m so excited at this stage. I don’t really know what to do. I will have a think about where to race next, but I would like to think about the KrisFlyer.
“I will probably give him a bit of a break now but I’m just so excited to get this win.”
Speedy Cat has proven a good money-spinner for connections. A four-year-old New Zealand-bred by Scaredee Cat from Lane Cove, Speedy Cat has won seven of his 16 starts with a further seven placings and Friday night’s success took his prizemoney to around the $570,000 mark for the Alwin Stable.
The Group 1 $1 million KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m will be run on May 19.
Flanked by his wife and jockey Manoel Nunes, trainer Alvin Tan (middle) holds his first Group
success trophy.
As the Merlion Trophy is the first Leg of the Singapore Sprint Series, should Speedy Cat go onto win the second and third Legs of the series – the Group 3 Kranji Sprint over 1200m on April 5 and the Group 1 $500,000 Lion City Cup over 1200m – then he’ll pick up a $150,000 bonus for connections.
Nunes picked up his second feature race success in the space of a week after Nandowra had given him his first “black type” victory in Singapore winning the Polytrack Mile Championship on March 8.
“I’m very lucky to be on a horse like him,” said Nunes. “He relaxed so well and appreciated the pace that was quite solid.
“I was able to save a lot of ground up on the inside and I know that this horse has a very good finish.
“Alvin has done a very good job with him and had him very fit for tonight’s race. I knew at the 600m that I had a lot of horse left underneath me.”
While disappointed to be beaten, both Moreira and Beasley were happy with the performances of their two mounts.
Moreira, who has ridden Super Easy in all bar one of his starts since coming up from New Zealand after three starts down as a two-year-old, said Super Easy had got into a good spot during the race.
“It was a very fast pace, but I had him in a good spot from the start,” said Moreira. “But from the 800m, I had to hunt him up to keep my position.
“I never had to do that at that stage before. He was probably not 100% fit and in the home straight, he just did not show his usual turn of foot.
“It’s also been a long time since he’s raced on the Polytrack. Maybe he wasn’t used to getting the kickback again.
“Either we’ll see plenty of improvement from that run or he will not recover from that run. There is no in-between.
“But I’m still glad with his run. He showed plenty of heart all the way to the line.”
Beasley, who was having his second ride on Huka Falls having won on the gelding on the Polytrack last December, was full of praise for the gelding after carving out quick early sectionals.
“I was extremely pleased with how the race was panning out. He was travelling very well and at the half-mile I was very confident,” said Beasley.
“I still had plenty of horse entering the home straight, but when I gave him a squeeze, he never came off the bridle.
“He gave me only one length when I was expecting him to give three lengths. He was very one-paced to the line.
“I’m still very proud of his run. He’s done a really good job to come from maiden to Group 3 level at his first preparation.”
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