Lim to roll the dice for Songgong Hera

Richard Lim was a deflated man after the barrier draws came out for Race 10 on Wednesday.

From the team representing him at Kranji on Saturday, the first-season trainer had made Songgong Hera his best chance.

It is not too hard to figure out why. The Spirit Of Boom six-year-old boasts the best current form from his 10 runners, which also includes a debutant in Pure Perfection in that hot $75,000 Novice race (1,100m).

The two-time winner has yet to open his 2022 account. But two seconds, including one to last Sunday's impressive Class 2 winner Tiger Roar, at his last three starts, as well as solid trackwork form, suggested his turn was not far off.

As an extra pointer of stable confidence, Lim has snapped up last Sunday's hat-trick hero Simon Kok for the ride.

But, when Songgong Hera drew 12 from 14 in the $70,000 Class 3 race over 1,200m on Polytrack, Lim's buoyancy was gone like a pricked balloon.

"Songgong Hera was one of my main hopes for the weekend. He ran well at his last start (second to Speedy Missile), and he worked very well on Track 2 on Saturday," said the former jockey.

"But, after the draw, I think it'll be difficult now. He runs his best races when he is up with the pace, preferably doing no work on the fence just off the lead.

"With a bit of luck, I hope he can sit handy, maybe one off and with cover. We'll just have to roll the dice and hope for the best."

Lim said the all-weather track had not been a serious concern, even if Songgong Hera is more proven over turf, but the parameters have changed.

"Songgong Hera can handle Polytrack. He won on it once, even if his turf form is better," he said.

"There were not any other options for him. So I entered him in that Polytrack race.

"I was not too worried about Polytrack, but from the wide barrier, it won't be easy now."

In the unlikely event Lim could count on his other runner, Chicago Star, as a back-up should Songgong Hera falter against the likes of Illustrious, Paletas or Nowyousee, that slender hope has all but gone up in smoke, too.

The Exceed And Excel four-year-old had no better luck at the barriers. He fared even worse.

"Chicago Star has also drawn badly (14). After he jumps out, we'll just have to ride him for luck," said Lim, who has booked Benny Woodworth on the four-time winner.

Chicago Star will also have to buck a trend which Lim has been at a loss to explain.

"Chicago Star is not a Class 3 horse, he's more a Class 4 horse," he said.

"I don't know why, but when he runs in Class 4, other horses chase him, and when he runs in Class 3, it's the other way round, he chases them.

"But you never know in racing, you've got to try your luck."

Lim has acquitted himself well at his rookie season, bringing up a dozen of winners from a stable not made up of superstars.

He saddled his last winner Global Spirit on Aug 14.

"It's been a good first season all in all ," said the naturalised Singaporean. "I can't complain. We will keep building up for next year."

Lim sits in 14th place (out of 23 trainers) on the Singapore trainers' log, just one clear of his former boss, Steven Burridge.

As a jockey, Lim famously won the 2006 Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup aboard the Burridge-trained King And King. Lim was given the rare honour and privilege of being presented the trophy by the monarch, who was at her third and last official state visit to Singapore.