Friday, 13 July 2012: A freshened up Michael Freedman trained three-year-old that last tackled the G2 Singapore Classic in April and therefore met the unbeaten local star Super Easy does look the class act in Race Eight tonight.
Distinction has a super record at 1400m and on the turf (all his Singapore form has come on the turf) plus when freshened up does the business too.
I do see him as winning the feature event on the card, a S$95K Open Benchmark 83 on the long turf course E, with Alan Munro to ride the son of Brilliance that is raced by the Mummify Stable.
His last start saw him get back and at G2 with the strength of three-year-olds this season that is game, set and match at Kranji.
He had finished a good third prior in Class Three under 57kg and before that a better fifth than it reads in the G3 Three Rings Trophy (1400m) won by Super Easy.
Freedman is currently second equal in the training premiership on 38 wins with Leslie Khoo and they are three behind the legend Laurie Laxon.
I can see Team Freedman having a good night and for that matter a super Sunday or Derby Day as it is best known.
When he is freshened up Distinction is devastating and take his resumption win last campaign on New Years Day.
He demolished a Graduation field over 1400m on the turf under 54kg by three lengths and the runner up was Mulan, a rival again this evening.
The other fresh up effort for Distinction came last September with a strong second to Peaceful Warrior (since has won once and placed second a staggering six times from twelve more starts).
Some names that finished behind Distinction that have gone on with it include Good Towkay (3 more wins since) and Itiswhatitis (2 more wins since) but the standout is Bee Ahead (9 starts since for a win and four placings plus three fourths)
You will see Bee Ahead run in the S$1.15 million G1 Emirates Singapore Derby on Sunday that is Race Eleven on a wonderful card.
Distinction did even on debut here at Kranji run a cracking third, so he races best resuming and early on in his campaigns for sure.
Mulan as mentioned earlier finished second to Distinction with 1.5kg more weight on her back and she has run into the same runner once more with the outcome a fourth (she carried 5.5kg more).
Tonight the mare will receive an inviting 4.5kg on paper plus 1kg for the claimer atop for a very nice all around swing.
She is a 1400m specialist (four starts for two wins and as many placings) and interestingly Alan Munro has won on her before but so has the apprentice Subramaniam Annandan.
I see her as a value chance in the race to bolster the quinella and trifecta.
The obvious form horse for sheer consistency of performance is Meteor Mike, which has 59kg to carry but has earned it through rarely failing.
He has won three races and placed second an amazing seven times plus overall has only missed the top quartet in just four of his starts.
Only on the turf has this gelding ever raced in Singapore and Jose Verenzuela will pilot for David Hill.
The resumption third behind the talented Speedy Cat and tidy Masthead makes for good viewing and form analysis plus the fact second up sees Meteor Mike improve markedly (twice a winner in this state).
Just consider he has been good enough to finish second to Red Beard, a serious Singapore Derby win chance on Sunday, along with a third to Gingerbread Man (the stablemate of Red Beard and also a Derby threat on class).
Valevole is a nice three-year-old but he has two barriers to overcome apart from having to carry 58.5kg.
The weight he can manage on natural ability but having a first ever race on the turf and at 1400m is a duo of doubt that bettors regularly recoil at.
Fred Crabbia has a reliable young horse here in Valevole, as the nine starts for four wins and two placings shows to go with three times fourth.
Valevole if you knew could handle the turf and 1400m would be an obvious win chance but until something has happened it is an unknown.
A reliable type to be there or thereabouts at 1400m on the turf is Just A Man and after a 2kg claim include him here.
His three runs this time in have seen two sound efforts and forget the outing in between as he was attacking for the lead off the track from the outside stall.
He had half a kilo more than the eventual third finisher Meteor Mike in the second up overlander and tonight will receive 3kg from that runner for a nice turnaround of 3.5kg all up.
Distinction can win this in a manner befitting his name and some value for your multiples will be Just A Man and Mulan.
Enjoy the feature race and bettors will be relieved Joao Moreira is back tonight as the turnover-driving king of Kranji always attracts legions of support.
