Nominations for Singapore’s two International Group 1 races on May 22 have brought together potentially the strongest line-ups in their short history.
The S$3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup over 2000m, which will be run for just the 11th time, and the S$1 million KrisFlyer International Sprint over 1200m, the Third Leg of the Global Sprint Challenge (GSC), have attracted a galaxy of stars from around the globe.
Leading racing powerhouses Australia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Hong Kong, Great Britain, France and South Africa are again strongly represented in both races.
In total, international nominations hail from 13 countries along with a strong local representation.
A combined total of over 170 horses have been nominated. Of that total, 110, including more than 20 individual Group 1 winners, have been entered in the SIA Cup while 64, of which there are 10 Group 1 winners, have been entered in the KrisFlyer.
The SIA Cup has again drawn extremely strong nominations headlined by CAPE BLANCO from the Aidan O’Brien yard while GIO PONTI, a multiple Group 1 winner in the USA, has been entered for the second consecutive year.
Last year’s winning trainer Mike de Kock has entered seven including highly-fancied Dubai World Cup contender BOLD SILVANO.
PRESVIS, a contestant in the past two SIA Cups, is slated for a return while brilliant mare SNOW FAIRY from Great Britain is another that adds depth to Singapore’s biggest race.
The KrisFlyer, which comes under the GSC banner for the first time, has attracted the cream of the world’s best sprinters amongst its nominations.
SACRED KINGDOM, the winner from two years ago and GREEN BIRDIE, last year’s winner, are again among the entries from Hong Kong while ROCKET MAN will be out to turn around his defeat to those two gallopers this time around.
Four of the first five horses home in last year’s renewal, which include Australian gallopers GOLD TRAIL and EAGLE FALLS, have been nominated again while horses like J J THE JETPLANE, KINSALE KING and smart USA mare UNZIP ME will ensure this year’s KrisFlyer is likely to be the most exciting ever.
Other than ROCKET MAN, Singapore will have two other worthy entries in exciting sprinting prospects BETTER BE THE ONE and ECLAIR FATSPASS.
“It is the strongest list of nominations we have had for the two races,” commented Mike Wanklin, Vice President of Racing and Head of Handicapping at the Singapore Turf Club. “The depth is well and truly there for both races.”
“The nomination list for the SIA Cup has great depth and we have a number of highly credentialled gallopers from around the world. The KrisFlyer, which this year forms a part of the Global Sprint Challenge has, with the exception of Black Caviar, all of the world’s top sprinters entered.”
