By Alan Carasso
Sent off the 28-5 second favorite in an overflow field for Sunday's Dester Singapore Gold Cup, Gilt Complex (NZ) (Gold Centre {Aus}) looked to be out of lives with a furlong and a half to run, but was deftly steered back towards the rails with time ticking away and stuck his head across the finish in a pulsating three-way go.
Able to save ground from his low draw in two, Gilt Complex traveled slightly better than centerfield turning up the backstretch as Order of the Sun (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Singapore Guineas hero Forever Young (Run Away and Hide) ensured that the Gold Cup would be run at a strong pace. Holding a spot one off the inside and tracking Elite Excalibur (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) into the final half-mile, Gilt Complex was in close proximity to, but managed to avoid an incident that saw Newlands (Aus) (Mugharreb) steady sharply off the heels of defending champ Bahana (NZ) (Elusive City) at the 600m and plummet through the field. The latter surged past a spent Order of the Sun at the quarter pole, but that move was covered by Elite Excalibur as Gilt Complex lie in wait. Majestic Moments (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) chimed in down the middle, leaving Michael Rodd and Gilt Complex in a bit of a jackpot, but the duo dove back to the fence and surged late to pip Bahana, with Elite Excalibur a narrow margin away in third.
“Michael said he found a second wind at the 600m, I actually thought he wouldn't stay the trip,” said winning trainer Cliff Brown, winning the Gold Cup for the first time. “[Stablemate] Elite Excalibur was fantastic, but Bahana is such a natural stayer. It was a fantastic result.”
Gilt Complex, a distant 12th in the Oct. 1 Kranji Mile, was exiting a 43-1 upset of Elite Excalibur in the Raffles Cup (1800m) Oct. 22 and was the recipient of an S$50,000 bonus for annexing two legs of the older horse Triple Crown.
Pedigree Notes…
Purchased for just NZ$10,000 at the NZB Festival Yearling Sale, Gilt Complex is out of a half-sister to SW & GSP Camacho (NZ) (Maroof), G1 Railway H. winner Baldessarini (NZ) (Green Perfume) and SW Venezuela (NZ) (Success Express). San Ysabeel's last listed produce is a filly by Road to Rock (Aus) foaled in 2012. Click for the Singapore Turf Club chart. VIDEO.
Sunday, Kranji, Singapore
DESTER SINGAPORE GOLD CUP, S$1,350,000 (£752,075/€850,639/A$1,295,405/US$992,406), Kranji, 11-12, 3yo/up, 2200mT, 2:14.37, gd.
1–GILT COMPLEX (NZ), 125, g, 6, Gold Centre (Aus)-San
Ysabeel (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ). (NZ$10,000 Ylg '13 NZBFES).
O-Graham Mackie; B-J R O'Brien; T-Cliff Brown; J-Michael
Rodd; S$802,250. Lifetime Record: 26-8-7-1, S$1,633,945.
2–Bahana (NZ), 117, g, 6, Elusive City–Khales (NZ), by Don
Eduardo (NZ). (NZ$80,000 Ylg '13 NZBSEL; NZ$100,000 2yo '13
NZBRTR). O-Dago Stable. S$286,875.
3–Elite Excalibur (Aus), 128, g, 5, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Romantic
River, by Irish River (Fr). (A$325,000 RNA Ylg '14 INGEAS).
O-Elite Performance Stable. S$145,125.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: HD, HD, 2 1/4. Odds: 5.60, 11.40, 7.80.
Also Ran: Majestic Moments (NZ), Infantry (NZ), Mighty Kenny (Aus), Blue Swede (NZ), Secret Win (Aus), Laughing Gravy (Aus), Perfect P (Arg), Jupiter Gold (Aus), Song to the Moon (NZ), Order of the Sun (Aus), Emperor's Banquet (Aus), Forever Young, Newlands (Aus). Scratched: Sandtop (NZ), Chairman (Ire), Magstock (NZ), Darshini (GB).
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