By Alan Carasso
With the G1 KrisFlyer International Sprint a thing of the past, Sunday's Lion City Cup now ranks as the defining race over 1200 metres on the local racing calendar, and for the second time in three years, the hard-knocking Zac Spirit (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}) was led back into the Kranji winner's enclosure post-race. As it was in 2014, Emperor Max (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) had to settle for second, while Horse of the Year Spalato (NZ) (Elusive City) could not stick with those two late and finished a well-beaten fourth.
The 2014 champion sprinter, Zac Spirit was third to Hong Kong's Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in that year's KrisFlyer and it took what commentator Craig Evans correctly deemed a 'monstrous' effort from Horse of the Year War Affair (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) to deny Zac Spirit in this event last year. Diagnosed with a knee chip following a subpar effort behind Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) in last year's KrisFlyer, he was brought back slowly and resumed with a solid second to Emperor Max in the Apr. 3 Kranji Sprint.
Bet into favoritism in the final few clicks of the tote, Zac Spirit took a sit in fifth for Vlad Duric and let his chief market rivals do the dirty work, with Emperor Max and Spalato eyeballing each other early and the fleet filly Kiwi Karma (NZ) (Fast 'n' Famous {Aus}) not too far behind. Up into third and just needing somewhere to run at the 400, Zac Spirit found a split between Emperor Max and Spalato and laid down the challenge to the former at the furlong marker. Danny Beasley got after Emperor Max in earnest at that point, but Zac Spirit did the better work over the final 100 metres to prevail. Super Winner (Aus) (Kaphero {Aus}), backing up off an impressive win over the Polytrack just nine days prior, ran on gamely for third.
“There was a lot of work to bring him back and that goes across the board, from [assistant] Timmy [Fitzsimmons], Chris [Bock] to the syces and the track rider who rides him every day. It's a huge team effort,” commented winning trainer Cliff Brown, atypically emotional when speaking to the Singapore Turf Club's Matt Jones. “I thought he was too far back in the race, but when I saw him improve before the home turn, I was like “Crikey! He really is travelling! It's amazing what he's done. He's won the Lion City Cup two years ago and he's won it again, after injury.”
Emperor Max and Spalato returned to scale having bled during the race.
Click for the Singapore Turf Club chart and VIDEO.
Sunday, Kranji, Singapore
LION CITY CUP, S$800,000 (£413,937/€525,264/A$764,114/
US$593,174), 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.45, gd.
1–ZAC SPIRIT (AUS), 127, g, 6, Flying Spur (Aus)–Kidman (Aus)
(MGSP-Aus), by Quest For Fame (GB). (A$95,000 Wlg '10
MMNWNL; A$140,000 Ylg '11 INGEAS). O-Zac Stable;
B-Newhaven Park Stud, Mr C Tidy (NSW); T-Cliff Brown; J-Vlad
Duric; S$476,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Sprinter & G1SP-Sin,
22-11-3-6, S$1,749,399. *1/2 to Zac Influence (Aus) (Rock of
Gibraltar {Ire}), SW-Sin, S$387,295.
2–Emperor Max (Aus), 127, g, 6, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)–
Maxerelle (Aus), by Strategic (Aus). (A$110,000 RNA Ylg '11
INGEAS). O-Gordon Yau. S$170,000.
3–Super Winner (Aus), 127, g, 4, Kaphero (Aus)–Millie Rose
(Aus), by Testa Rossa (Aus). (A$35,000 Ylg '13 INGPRE). O-Lye
Soh Seng. S$86,000.
Margins: 1, 2HF, 1. Odds: 1.60, 2.60, 16.80.
Also Ran: Spalato (NZ), Kiwi Karma (NZ), Wimbledon (Aus), Gold Rutile (Jpn), Goal Keeper (Aus), Pachelbel's Canon (Arg). Scratched: The Nutcracker (Arg).
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