Fitzsimmons is looking for a Hero at Kranji

Leading trainer Tim Fitzsimmons can continue his recent run of success with promising four-year-old and Derby hopeful Hero, who’s looking for back-to-back wins when he rises to 2000m in Race 9, the Class 4 Handicap at Kranji on Sunday.

Hero ran on well to find one too good in a slowly run race first-up before finishing a luckless fourth two starts ago when he suffered a nasty check near the 1200m. Despite encountering some troubles again last time out, when he was held up from the 500m to the 300m before being badly hampered near the 200m, Hero let down impressively in the concluding stages to score by one length over 1600m.

Based on the manner in which Hero won his last start, rising to 2000m for the first time should not pose any problem to him, and in what appears a below-par Class

4 field, he stands out as the form choice and can prove hard to hold out stepping away from barrier No 1.

In the final race of the day, talented three-year-old gelding No More Delay is another chasing two wins in succession when he contests the Class 4 Handicap over 1200m on turf.

A two-time winner from five starts, No More Delay is off the back of a narrow but impressive first-up win 21 days ago. Crossing the line

ahead of a few horses whose handicap rating was higher than his in the Novice race, it should hold him in good stead as he makes his Handicap debut in Class 4 this week.

Meanwhile Fitzsimmons continues his good form and leads the premiership with a four-win advantage over Michael Clements, 23-19.

Manoel Nunes has surged clear by a margin in the jockeys’ premiership and will take some catching. He leads Oscar Chavez by 22 wins, 41-19.

BEST BET Race 9 No 1 Hero

VALUE BET

Race 11 No 3 Happy Moment

JACKPOT

R108

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3

Leg 4: 2, 3, 10