The big international event of the year in Singapore is the Singapore International Racing Festival at Kranji on Sunday evening, highlighted by the S$3 million (about US$2.4 million) Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1), contested at 2000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) around two turns of the turf course. Immediately before the Cup, top international turf sprinters will go 1200 meters (about 6 furlongs) around one turn in the S$1 million (about US$800,000) KrisFlyer International Sprint. As is typical in this tropical locale, wet conditions are likely with temperatures near 90. Note that the saddlecloth numbers do not correspond with post positions.
Hong Kong Vase winner Red Cadeaux works out in preparation for the Singapore International Cup
A field of 13 made final entry for the Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1), carded as race 10 and going to post at 8:40pm local time (8:40am ET in North America). Audemars Piguet QE II Cup (G1) winner Military Attack flies the colors of Hong Kong and drew post 4. Jockey Zac Purton gets the call for trainer John Moore. Pastorius ships in from Germany and drew post 11. He comes to Kranji off a win in the Prix Ganay (G1) at Longchamp, after a disappointinng 4th in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1) last year at Ascot. Last year's Hong Kong Vase (G1) winner Red Cadeaux will attempt to snap his losing streak in this spot, after fnishing second to Animal Kingdom in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and then third in the Tenno Sho (G1) at Kyoto. Jockey Gerald Mosse gets the call for trainer Ed Dunlop. Another Dubai World Cup refugee, top Godolphin horse Hunter's Light, has also made the trip, having finished seventh in the World Cup after winning rounds 2 and 3 of the local prep series, the Maktoum Challenge (G1). Regular rider Silvestre de Sousa will be in the irons for Saeed bin Suroor.
Lucky Nine, third in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, works out in preparation for the Krisflyer International Sprint
The post positions were selected by a trained parrot
The KrisFlyer International Sprint (G1) goes off at 7:50pm (7:50am ET) as the 9th race of the 11 race program at Kranji, with a field of 11 horses making final entry. Five of the entrants are locally based, led by Super Easy, winner of the main local prep, the Lion City Cup. Regular rider Joao Moreira gets the call for trainer Michael Freedman. Lucky Nine represents Hong Kong, winner of the Chairman's Sprint Prize back in February but followed up with a fourth in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup and then 7th in the Sprint Cup. Brett Prebble rides again for Caspar Fownes. Bel Sprinter represents Australia, winner of the Canterbury BMW Galaxy (G1) in March followed by a third place finish in the T.J. Smith (G1) in April, a race which turned out to be the final start for the great Black Caviar. Hugh Bowman, who was aboard in the Smith, gets the return call for trainer Jason Warren.
Photos from morning workouts for 10 International horses can be found here.
Singapore Airlines International Cup (Group 1) – 2000m
S$3 million (US$2.4 million)
Race 10
Horse Number
Horse Name
Barrier Number
1
MEANDRE
12
2
MILITARY ATTACK
4
3
PASTORIUS
11
4
RED CADEAUX
7
5
DAN EXCEL
1
6
HUNTER'S LIGHT
10
7
MAWINGO
2
8
MULL OF KILLOUGH
8
9
FLAX
5
10
LIZARRE
9
11
DEEP POCKETS
13
12
READY TO STRIKE
3
13
BETTER LIFE
6
KrisFlyer International Sprint (Group 1) – 1200m
S$1 million (US$799.309)
Race 9
