Back River Golden and Absolvido
Singapore best bets for Friday and Sunday
Last-start winners River Golden and Absolvido are in sizzling form and are the top bets at Kranji tonight and on Sunday respectively.
Incidentally, both are in the last races, but they are worth the wait.
The Mok Zhan Lun-trained River Golden has been running consistently well this campaign and scored a deserving victory last time out on May 26.
Just receiving lukewarm support, the five-year-old chestnutNew Zealand-bred did not look like firing a blow until late into the race.
But, when his engine was turned on in the final 200m of the 1,200m race on a yielding turn track, he simply flew, racing past his Class 3 Div 2 rivals with consummate ease.
His winning time was quite good, dipping below 1min 10sec, clocking 1:09.91.
That was his fourth success from 23 starts and all his wins were over the 1,200m, two each on turf and on the Polytrack.
Tonight, he will be going over the Poly in the same class but with 3kg more. That should not pose a problem as the field does not look any stronger than the last.
TOP OF HIS GAME
What boosted my confidence was his final gallop on Tuesday morning. River Golden went spiritedly and really enjoyed the breeze-up. He is now at the top of his game.
Equally impressive in trackwork was the Steven Burridge-trained Absolvido, who went faultessly in his gallop on Track 6 on Wednesday morning. He finished full of running.
It was evident that he has picked up plenty from his last-to-first victory on June 1.
Most would agree that had Absolvido lost that Maiden race over 1,400m, he would have been a certainty beaten.
Last early, he straightened up with an equine wall in front. For the longest while he could not get through.
Once he did, most thought it was too late. But, with his big-bounding strides, he not only won but won comprehensively by 1 3/4 lengths.
Jockey Glen Boss got the credit for securing that success at Alsolvido's only second run. The Australian jockey will again be astride and his mount looks well in with a 3.5kg reprieve to 54.5kg although it will now be a Class 4 Premier event over the same 1,400m trip.
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