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Rocket Star might not have won over the mile yet, but trainer Ricardo Le Grange thought the sprinter-miler is ready to surprise in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race (1600m) on Saturday.
The six-year-old son of Star Witness has won four races (1100m to 1400m) and placed as many as 17 times in 23 starts thus far. Four of the placings came on the mile, including two at Group 1 level, so it was evident that he could handle the trip.
The model of consistency ran third to Minister in the Kranji Mile two years ago and finished runner-up to ex-Kranji superstar Inferno in the Singapore Guineas on September 26, 2020. At his latest unplaced attempt in the 2021 Group 2 Stewards' Cup, he pulled up lame after the race.
The mile could be Rocket Star 's best distance, which is a point not lost on Le Grange, even if he faces the likely hot favourite, Street Of Dreams, who is gunning for his sixth win in a row.
"I honestly think the mile and 1400m are his best trips," said Le Grange, who also saddles Hongkong Great in the same race on Saturday.
"The 1200m is probably a bit sharp for him now, especially at the top level.
"His best run was in the Kranji Mile when he had no luck but was in the winning mix with Minister and Lim's Lightning (second), so we know he can run the 1600m at that level.
"He's fit and in form, so a crack at the mile on Saturday looks perfect and the weight (56.5kgs) looks fair.
"Obviously, Street Of Dreams is a very smart horse – what he did last start was more than impressive - but he carries a few extra kilos on Saturday (53.5kgs).
"Also, the Group races are (run under) weight-for-age (conditions) so it gets tougher for him (Street Of Dreams) with every start.
"I only wished we had drawn a better gate."
Rocket Star will need things to go his way in running after drawing wide in barrier no. 14 but Le Grange reckoned he will be strong late with some luck in the early part of the race.
"(Jockey) Calvin (Habib) will try to get some cover early," explained the South African conditioner, who has also earmarked the Group 1 Raffles Cup (1600m) on March 25 and Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) on May 20 for Rocket Star.
"He (Rocket Star) needs to find a back in races; he races best that way. If he does, he will be running on and you know he is always competitive."
On the other hand, Hongkong Great has also drawn the outermost alley in barrier no. 16 but the astute trainer thought to forget his last-start failure and that the 2022 Singapore Gold Cup winner can show his best this time.
"I'm drawing a line through his last start," he said.
"No way he runs that poorly. We couldn't find anything untoward after the race and he has trained on well, so watch out for his best on Saturday.
"He hasn't drawn a gate again and has to carry weight (59.5kgs) but (jockey) Vlad (Duric) will take him forward and the is no reason why he won't run a big race."
Going forward, Le Grange thought the weight-for-age conditions of the Raffles Cup will help both Hongkong Great and Rocket Star, and another stable star, Katak.
"(Trainer) Daniel's (Meagher) horse (Lim's Kosciuszko) is the best weight-for-age galloper in Singapore," he said.
"He's the benchmark, so horses like Street Of Dreams have to step up.
"Hopefully Rocket Star and Hongkong Great can be very competitive on Saturday as they will be better weighted next start. Both of them have also shown that they are up to (the challenge at) weight-for-age level.
"So is Katak, too. He showed that at his last start by being the only one to keep Street Of Dreams honest. We gave him (Street Of Dreams) nine-kilos and got beaten by only three lengths and there was a gap (another three lengths) to third.
"The run also showed that the surgery (fetlock chip removed in late 2022) was the greatest thing – he ran straight as an arrow – and Vlad was very complimentary of him after the race.
"He doesn't need another run before the Raffles (Cup). We trialled him the other day (finished first in trial no. 3 on February 28 in the time of 59.02secs) and he will have a grass gallop to keep him fit."
