Bang-in-form Starboy set to make it three on the bounce

Starboy’s last win on Dec 14 when he romped home by 6¼ lengths was something to savour.

The fact that it was a Class 5 event far from lessens his merit.

Starboy took that 1,400m contest with heaps of authority, leading from the get-go and never surrendering the advantage.

Indeed, he went to the line with plenty still in the tank.

Such was his showing that the handicappers decided it was time to send him up a class.

So it is, come Race 5 on Jan 17 that Starboy will be next seen strutting his stuff in Class 4 company.

The question remains whether, with a rating of just 47 points, he can take on and beat the likes of The Star who gets into the race on a rating of 61.

More amazing things have happened, and it would be a mistake to rule him out simply on numbers.

Anyway, Starboy’s preparation going into this latest contest has been top-notch.

The Shooting To Win five-year-old had slightly more than a month’s rest. So as not to leave anything to chance, trainer Hamsha Aloysius did, on the morning of Jan 14, send his charge out for a piece of work on the training track.

It was hardly a strenuous outing. With his race jockey Khaw Choon Kit doing the steering, Starboy was not out to go a-gallop. Instead, his work was restricted to some serious cantering – which he did rather keenly.

Come Jan 17, Starboy will be shooting for three-in-a-row and a fifth victory overall.

Right now, there is little to suggest he cannot hold his own in Class 4.

While the racing adage weight can stop a train has held true many a time, Starboy won his last two races while having to carry 57kg and 59kg.

With 52kg this time, it will be like having a feather on his back and, when the going gets serious, the light load might make the difference.

Khaw, who on Jan 11, rode back-to-back winners for trainer Ooi Chin Chin, could continue the good work with another Ooi-trained runner, Red Sky.

Set to see action in Race 3, Red Sky was one of a handful who went against the clock. With Khaw in the saddle, the three-year-old by Capitalist trotted on the training track before turning on the speed to run the 600m in 39.4sec on a tight rein.

To date, Red Sky has been winless after seven outings. But it has not been for lack of trying.

Twice already, he had to settle for third and both times, he messed up the start.

If Khaw can get him off cleanly on Jan 17, Red Sky should and could make the board.

Another one who deserves a second look at is Santino in Race 4.

Trained by Simon Dunderdale for the Jenn Stable, Santino was on his toes when restricted to trotting. Word from the training track has been positive.

A winner in a Class 5 sprint over the 1,020m on Nov 8, he was promoted to Class 4 where he contested three of his latest races.

He did not fare too badly, especially at that last start on Jan 3 which saw him finish fourth to Pacific Angel.

It somehow saw him tumble back down into Class 5 and now that he is again in his comfort zone, it will come as little surprise to see him figure prominently at the finish.

There may be concerns about him having to carry topweight of 59kg, but Santino is a strong chestnut who tips the scales in the mid-500kg range.

To date, Santino has been a two-time winner, on either side of the Causeway.

He broke through for his first win on March 9, 2024 when prepared by Donna Logan at Kranji. That day, he carried 58.5kg when beating Pacific Angel over the 1,000m.

He pulled off his second win at Kuala Lumpur on Nov 8 when having to carry 58kg.

Santino certainly has the girth and the gumption to carry weights and win races. Come Jan 17, he should make light of the 59kg.

brian@sph.com.sg