Brown holds two aces in Raffles Cup

Trainer Cliff Brown has won the Raffles Cup the last two years and a hat-trick is highly possible, with him having two strong representatives.

The Australian trainer will field 2016 Raffles Cup winner Debt Collector, who is coming right again, and Group 3 Committee's Prize winner Elite Excalibur on Sunday.

The Australian handler, who also captured the Raffles Cup with Gilt Complex last year, is happy with both horses going into Sunday's $1 million Group feature, which is now the first leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series.

As usual, Brown wouldn't split his Raffles Cup duo even if 2016 Singapore Horse of the Year Debt Collector is likely to garner slightly more support, especially after his flying second to Preditor in the Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy (1,400m) on Aug 12, first-up from a 10-month break that included a five-month spell in Australia.

Elite Excalibur, who won the Group 3 Committee's Prize (1,600m) in March, also recently made his comeback in the Group 3 Moonbeam Vase (1,600m) on Sept 2, but after a shorter break of three months since his disappointing run in the Invitational Group 1 Kranji Mile.

He also put the writing on the wall with a pleasing fifth to Nova Strike under first-time partner Craig Grylls.

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Both Debt Collector and Elite Excalibur will this time run at level weights, as opposed to condition weights at their first-up runs.

"Elite Excalibur has trained on very well after his Moonbeam Vase race. That first run was very good," said Brown.

"He was going over a mile off one trial and you had to be pleased with such a run.

He's pulled up very well and will be a fitter horse going into the Raffles Cup. Debt Collector has also been working well and trialled very well last week. I couldn't be happier with both horses."

With Rodd unsurprisingly sticking with Debt Collector, Brown has again booked Grylls on Elite Excalibur.

When asked if the Fastnet Rock six-year-old would chart the same path as last year's in the Singapore Triple Crown series, Brown, who captured his first Singapore Gold Cup with Gilt Complex last year, said he would rather take it one race at a time.

Last year, Elite Excalibur made up for an ordinary ninth to Infantry in the Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile (1,600m) by producing two super runs in the Raffles Cup (then over 1,800m) and Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2,200m) when second and third respectively to stablemate Gilt Complex.

"It all depends on how he performs in the Raffles Cup, and that goes for Debt Collector, too. I'm never one to get ahead of myself," said Brown.

The Raffles Cup is now over 1,600m. It is now followed by the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1,800m) on Oct 21 and with the Singapore Gold Cup (dropped from 2,200m to 2,000m) on Nov 11.