Siam Warrior comes up trumps
A slightly interrupted prep did little to dent Siam Warrior’s (Exceed And Excel) winning momentum on Saturday.
The five-year-old suffered a minor hiccup after his last-start win in a Class 4 race over 1200 metres on January 1 when he got cast in his box, meaning James Peters had to back him off to allow the swollen hind leg to heal, but fortunately for the English trainer, the former Godolphin inmate recovered swiftly.
A sound jump-out was just the clean bill of health connections needed ahead of running him in Saturday’s $70,000 Class 3 race over 1200 metres, which was a rise in grade for the Middle Kingdom Stable-owned runner.
Ridden again by his last-start winning partner Vlad Duric, the $32 chance darted through a gap on the rails late on on his way towards a brilliant length and a half victory from the fast-closing Gold Star (Redente). Elite Incredible (Valid Stripes) stayed on for third place, another half-length away. The winning time was 1min 9.33secs for the 1200 metres on the Long Course.
“After his last win, he pulled up okay but a few days later, he had a swollen hind leg,” said Peters.
“Luckily, he came right and got through that. He had a jump-out and it was all good for him.
“He’s really thriving. Today from barrier one Vlad made the call to come back to the inside in the straight and the horse was really strong to the line.
“I don’t have any major plans for him. I will find another Class 3 race for him in three weeks’ time.”
Duric later went on to complete a hat-trick courtesy of wins on the short-priced favourite Street Cry Success (Street Cry) for champion trainer Mark Walker in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1200 metres and Blue Chip (Shocking) for Stephen Gray in the $30,000 Class 5 race over 1800 metres.
Duric, who has now widened his lead in the Singapore jockeys’ premiership to seven winners, said Siam Warrior was a horse he had long set his sights on.
“I always liked the horse. I tried to get on him, but James always said they would stay with Ben Thompson.
“When Ben left, it created an opportunity for me to ride him. I guess I got on him at the right time.
“Before the race, I discussed with James about barrier one. It was the Long Course, I just had to see how it unfolds.
“He jumped good, I dropped him off halfway and he always travelled comfortably underneath me. He’s got a good turn of foot.
“He had a setback after his last run when he was cast in his box. But he gave me the confidence he was okay after he jumped on the back track the other day.
“It was a step-up in class but he had the perfect run.”
Known as Siam when a two-time winner for trainer James Cummings and Godolphin in Sydney, Siam Warrior has now established a handy local record of three wins and two placings from 12 starts for prize-money in excess of S$100,000 for Jayven See’s Middle Kingdom Stable.