Tropaios showed he is on track for the $S1.35 million Singapore Gold Cup after an eye-catching second in the G2 El Dorado Classic (2200m) at Kranji in Singapore yesterday.
The Singapore Derby placegetter again produced a rattling run having settled last in the field of 12, sneaking along the fence from the 600m mark under a calculating and judicious Danny Beasley ride.
At the 300m mark Tropaios was within striking distance of the leaders and unleashed his finishing burst, driving up inside Musketeer who had had a charmed run a few lengths off the pace. Tropaios hit the front inside the final 50m only for his finishing effort to tell and he was claimed late by the determined Musketeer who kept finding the line under his feather weight of 50kg.
The performance has trainer Michael Freedman naturally excited about the Singapore Gold Cup with that display fine tuning his charge perfectly.
“It was a very good Gold Cup trial,” the trainer said. “Clearly he is enjoying getting up to these staying distances now. In three weeks time he will be a live chance in the Gold Cup.
“All in all I am very happy with Tropaios and how he is progressing.”
Tropaios
It was also the first ride on Tropaios for Beasley who has monitored the French imports performances since coming to Singapore at the start of the season.
“It was a very promising run. It was his first go at 2200m this preparation and he will be all the better for it. It was a good prep run for the Gold Cup,” Beasley said.
Tropaios has been a most consistent performer for the China Horse Club since coming to Singapore. In seven starts against quality company he has won once and been placed on a further four occasions most notably in the G1 Singapore Derby, second in the G2 Eldorado Classic and an unlucky third in the G3 Committee’s Prize. Only once has he finished outside the top four in those seven appearances. The Singapore Gold Cup now beckons.