Hilly’s Halo set to shine
RICHARD AZAN’S PEKING CRUZ failed his stamina test on May 9 but will be very comfortable going 1100 metres in tomorrow’s opening race of the Sunrise-6.
The three-year-old colt, competing against older horses over 1820 metres, led for 1300m before weakening late to finish fifth by 14 lengths to Uncle Frank. The race was completed in a fast 1:55.4 min, so PEKING CRUZ did fairly well to cross the finish line in 1:58.3 min. He is back to sprinting and is very fit after a 48.0s flat clocking for 800m on the exercise track earlier this week. The prediction is that he will make every post a winning one and come home ahead of the United States-bred MY SUGARMAN.
Race Two, over 1,700 metres, should develop a into a straight battle between BLOOD SONG, to be ridden by Shane Ellis, and PEYTON’S DELIGHT, with United Statesbased veteran Talbert Howell in the saddle. Both horses came face to face on May 5, with BLOOD SONG closing late to finish second by five lengths to Deal Marker. PEYTON’S DELIGHT ended third, six lengths behind BLOOD SONG. It should be noted, however, that PEYTON’S DELIGHT was up with the cracking early pace (23.0 x 47.0 x 1:12.2) and with no Deal Marker to contend with, will be the ‘lone speed’. With that uncontested lead, four-year-old filly should be too far ahead when BLOOD SONG comes with his late kick.
In the third, they all have to beat UNEXPECTED. By Liquidity - Wild Tradition, the four-year-old colt ran a bit green on his May 9 debut over 800m straight and was beaten by the lighter and more seasoned Twilight Eruption in a driving finish. Now that he knows a bit more about what racing is about, UNEXPECTED, once breaking cleanly, will be a lonely winner. Linton Steadman has retained the ride on the topweight.
Oakridge Farms’ United States-bred threeyear-old filly HILLY’S HALO has been fitted with the visor for the fourth race over 1,000 metres straight, and she is expected to get off the mark locally, in this her fifth start.
On May 5 she broke slow and ended up third by two and a half lengths to Outrageous Taj in a 1,300-metre event won in a fast 1:19.0 min. The filly has been off slow in all of her four starts, and the visor should ensure that she is more focused when the starting gates fly open. She had a bullet work on May 13 (35.0s for 600m) and appears ready for a big run.
Race Five will be won by the out of class UNBREAKABLE, while American-bred COUNCIL OF TRENT has received an ease in the handicaps and is strongly fancied to win his first race after 21 starts at Caymanas Park.
SUNRISE-6 SELECTIONS
1. PEKING CRUZ
2. PEYTON’S DELIGHT
3. UNEXPECTED
4. HILLY’S HALO
5. UNBREAKABLE
6. COUNCIL OF TRENT