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The punters sent him out the short-priced $6 favourite and the Jason Lim-trained Super Salute did not disappoint with a commanding win in the $110,000 Group 3 Silver Bowl (1400m) on Sunday.
In a small field of eight in what is the first leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, jockey Manoel Nunes was taking no chances early by having the Alan N John Stable-owned son of I Am Invincible on the flank of the somewhat surprise early leader, Invincible Tycoon ($34) for jockey Marc Lerner.
Outsider Renzo ($198) – who jumped well for jockey Bernardo Pinheiro from barrier five - settled one-back the rails, while jockey Mark Zahra had second favourite ($25), Golden Monkey, perfectly positioned behind Super Salute in the coveted one-out-one-back position.
On turning for home, there would be no hard luck stories for any of the top three fancies with Super Salute challenging Invincible Tycoon at the 300m and Golden Monkey making ground in clean air at the 250m.
It was for all intents and purposes a race in three but when Super Salute kicked clear by a length or two at the 200m, it was a race in one with Golden Monkey not making any significant inroads into the margin and nothing coming from the pack.
An easy watch for favourite backers ensued with Super Salute winning comfortably by one-and-a-quarter lengths over Golden Monkey with a brave Invincible Tycoon only half-a-length back in third.
The only mare in the field - Istataba ($170) (Kok Wei Hoong) – ran home well to be best of the rest another one-and-a-quarter lengths away in fourth and the winning time was 1min 21.40secs for the 1400m on the short course.
In a week where news broke of the impending closure of horse racing in Singapore (October 2024), the winning trainer was sombre and reflective on the impact on all Singapore horse racing stakeholders.
"Seriously, I'm very happy," said Lim who earlier combined with Nunes to win the Ato 2012 Stakes – a $50,000 Class 4 race over 1600m – with Elite Legend.
"I really wanted to win this for the people here. For the owners, the staff and for the punters here. That's all."
When asked by presenter Scott Bailey about race tactics and where to from here for Super Salute, Lim was succinct in his appraisal of both jockey and horse.
"No, I leave it (tactics) to him (Nunes). I didn't tell him anything. I don't need too."
"I will just keep him (Super Salute) ticking (over). He's a horse with a lot of ability and I'm sure he has the heart to fight."
Nunes, on the other hand, was more effusive in his praise of a horse that should start a very short favourite in the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Challenge, the $150,000 Stewards' Cup over 1600m on July 2.
"He's going the right way," said Nunes who had three winners on the day with Citygoldgeneration victorious in the What's New 2019 Stakes, a $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1200m.
"He's improved race-by-race and he's getting more mature now and he settled better. He's a lovely horse and has a bright future here.
"You can put him anywhere. Today I had to jump clean in a small field. I had a good barrier (four) and I rode him like he is the best horse in the race. I just put him there (leaders flank) to get out of trouble but it doesn't really matter because you can ride him anywhere.
"Definitely he's getting better race-by-race. Every race much better so I'm excited to see how he's going to the next one."
The third leg of the 4YO Challenge is the $400,000 Group 1 Singapore Derby over 1800m on July 27. Super Salute's seventh (straight) win in Singapore – and his second at Group level - took his prizemoney to over $265,000.
