Makin won’t be mucking about
Whether the Group 1 Kranji Mile is next up, talented 4YO should roll his Class 2 rivals
Makin looks like a shoo-in in the $85,000 Class 2 race (1,600m) on May 4.
This race could have been construed as a springboard towards the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile over the same distance on May 18.
Trainer Steven Burridge has entered both Makin and the Class 2’s second-stringer Cavalry – along with Street Of Dreams and Invincible Tycoon – in the Kranji Mile.
But the Australian, whose trophy cabinet still does not feature any Singapore Derby silverware, is leaning more towards the four-year-old series coming up in June.
Cavalry is a confirmed starter in the Kranji Mile, while Burridge will wait for Makin’s performance to get a better guide. Chances are the son of Written Tycoon may well run rings around 10 rivals, who, all look safely held.
For a start, he thumped five of them at his last outing in a similar Class 2 mile contest on March 30.
Granted he had only 52.5kg on his back then, but with the highly-rated Prosperous Return (93) as topweight, Mr Black Back (second), Raising Sixty-One (third), Cavalry (fourth), Rocket Star (seventh) and So Hi Class (10th) were also weighted at the lower end.
With Mr Black Back the new top seed on 86 points this time, the weights are compressed towards the top, meaning that the weight swing at the rerun between Makin and the beaten brigade of five is not all that significant.
That said, other variables can come into play, like barrier No. 11, but he won from there once, or Cavalry can strip fitter second-up.
The 2022 Taupo Cup (2,000m) winner has not quite set Kranji on fire, but he is on his own path towards other targets like the Kranji Mile and the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) on Oct 5.
Among the new rivals Makin will be pitted against, January and Istataba seem to be the only ones who could trip him up.
It appears January has put his leg issues behind after he dead-heated with Aniki in a Class 3 race (1,400m) on March 30.
He is not proven over 1,600m, but the reunion with 2023 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint-winning partner Simon Kok could see him find a couple of lengths.
Argentinian-bred mare Istataba is one of those who get tagged “Group material” early, but who then flatter to deceive.
The five-time winner’s (1,200m to 2,000m) best run was arguably her third to Lim’s Kosciuszko in the 2023 Singapore Gold Cup.
Trainer Donna Logan is well aware nobody is remembered for running second, let alone third.
Istataba gets her chance to show her mettle at that lower level before tackling bigger fish to fry.
Actually, Makin may already be one of the big boys now.
Regular partner Manoel Nunes always said he could run, but with two caveats – his barrier manners and stamina past 1,400m.
Two perfect getaways and two smashing wins over the mile at his last two runs have answered those queries in no uncertain terms.
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