A 'Classic' Upset

Nearly seven years ago to the date, a Tony Millard-trained gelding named Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) returned 9-1 in winning the Hong Kong Classic Cup en route to victory in the Hong Kong Derby and later went on to be one of the all-time greats of the local turf.

Singapore Sling (SAf) (Philanthropist) has much to achieve before being mentioned in the same breath as the two-time Horse of the Year, but in a short time, the gelding has made massive progress and announced his arrival really and truly with a convincing success–also at 9-1–in the second leg of the 4-year-old Triple Crown series Sunday at Sha Tin.

Neatly drawn in barrier two, Singapore Sling jumped straight into the bridle beneath the hot-riding Chad Schofield and landed in a perfect spot one back on the fence in the slipstream of pacesetting The Golden Age (Fr) (ex Kontrastat {Fr}) (My Risk {Fr}) as G1 Queensland Derby hero Ruthven (Aus) (Domesday {Aus}) also pressed forward. Second favourite Exultant (Ire) (ex G1 Irish 2000 Guineas third Irishcorrespondent {Ire}) (Teofilo {Ire}) landed in the latter third of the field, while Nothingilikemore (Aus) (Husson {Arg}), the 4-5 favourite to add to his win in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, missed the hop and trailed early.

The pace was generous enough and The Golden Age was still going nicely down the side, but the chief protagonists were working into it from behind and the stage was set. Schofield found his way off the inside in upper stretch with Singapore Sling and came to tackle The Golden Age inside the 200m, then was doing his best work through the line to score comfortably. Exultant closed like a horse looking for even further and The Golden Age outran overlaid odds to be third. Nothingilikemore followed the move of Exultant around the turn and did well to be fourth, beaten just under three lengths. He was later found to have lost his off-fore shoe on the back straight.

“I just put my hands on the horse's neck and let him tell me where he wanted to be and that was nice and close in the box seat,” Schofield told HKJC's David Morgan. “I was worried that perhaps I was too close because it was a strong pace throughout. It really surprised me, the kick The Golden Age gave–he kicked strongly and maintained the momentum he'd built up. My bloke ran a really strong race though.”

Millard is happy to deflect any comparisons to his former champion, at least for now, in favor of focusing on the next objective, namely the Derby that comes up Mar. 18.

“Ambitious Dragon was a true champion and this horse is still building up to be talked of in the same voice–he has to still do it. There was nothing wrong with his win today, though,” Millard said.

Winner of the G2 Investec Dingaans S. when under the care of Geoff Woodruff in South Africa, the Drakenstein Stud-bred Singapore Sling won a Class 2 at Happy Valley Dec. 27 and made a favourable impression in the Classic Mile, closing to be second.

Pedigree Notes:

Singapore Sling is one of three graded/group winners for his sire (by Kris S.–Hidden Reserve), who was relocated to Gaynor Rupert's Drakenstein Stud from Gardiner Farms in Ontario, Canada, in 2012. Singapore Sling is from the sire's first South African crop. Philanthropist has also sired GI Nearctic S. hero Phil's Dream (champion) and South African Grade 3 winner She's A Giver (SAf) in addition to multiple Canadian Classic winners Pender Harbour (champion) and Bear It's Time. Singapore Sling's second dam was the champion South African sprinter of 1998 and went on to produce Grand Emporium (SAf) (National Assembly), a Grade 1 winner at home before venturing overseas, where his major success came in the 2005 G2 Godolphin Mile for Mike de Kock.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
HONG KONG CLASSIC CUP-LR, HK$10,000,000 (£907,018/€1,022,299/A$1,609,426/US$1,278,716), Sha Tin, 2-18, NH/SH4yo, 1800mT, 1:46.99, gd.
1–SINGAPORE SLING (SAF), 126, g, 4, by Philanthropist
1st Dam: Sing Dixie Sing (SAf), by Western Winter
2nd Dam: Whistling Dixie (SAf), by Raise a Man
3rd Dam: A Song Is Born (SAf), by Jamaico (Fr)
(R225,000 Ylg '15 CTSPRE). O-Nikki Ng Mien Hua; B-Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert); T-Tony Millard; J-Chad Schofield; HK$5,700,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-SAf, 10-4-1-2, HK$10,492,290.
2–Exultant (Ire), 126, g, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Contrary (Ire), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). O-Eddie Wong Ming Chak; B-Ballygallon Stud Limited; T-Tony Cruz; HK$2,200,000.
3–The Golden Age (Fr), 126, g, 4, My Risk (Fr)–Sikkim (Fr), by Linamix (Fr). O-Mr & Mrs Xiao Tan Ping; B-Bruno Plainfosse; T-Tony Cruz; HK$1,150,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1. Odds: 9-1, 12-5, 45-1.
Also Ran: Nothingilikemore (Aus), Rivet (Ire), Doctor Geoff (Ire), Ruthven (Aus), Morethanlucky (NZ), Rattan (NZ), Grand Chancellor (NZ), Beauty Miles (NZ), Goldfield (Arg). Scratched: Patriot Hero (Ire).
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