Luke Middlebrook
A Classy Kranji A Stakes over 1000m on the Polytrack is the highlight on the 12-race card at Kranji on Saturday.
It’s an all-Poly meeting with the turf track out of action.
Leading trainer Tim Fitzsimmons will be hopeful his highly progressive four-year-old Lucky Jinsha can score a fifth straight win when he returns to Kranji in the $70,000 Class 3 Handicap over 1200m on the Polytrack.
A five-time winner from 13 starts, Lucky Jinsha has not looked back since scoring a Class 5 win four starts ago in August last year. During that time, his rating has soared to 77 from 48 in less than eight months.
Despite drawn wide at his Class 3 debut last time out, the Shooting To Win gelding made light work of his rivals when leading all the way to score comfortably by one length over this distance. The switch back to the Polytrack will suit Lucky Jinsha even better this week, as four of his five career wins have come about on the alternative racing surface.
An old-timer who is capable of finding a spot in the money at a price is Decreto in the Class 5 1100m Handicap in Race 9. Decreto has not had much luck in his last two runs. Two starts ago he was steadied off the heels at the 350m before having to be checked approaching the 250m, unable to let down properly until after the 200m.
Last start, when first-up off a seven-month break, he was held up from the top of the straight until passing the 200m, taken outwards at the 150m to continue to improve his position. With clean air, he can charge late.
Meanwhile, Fitzsimmons maintains control on the trainers’ championship ladder with 16 wins for the season, a one-win advantage over the improving Michael Clements yard.
For the jockeys, a returning Manoel Nunes has surged clear by a margin, boasting a 10-win lead over Danny Beasley, 28 to 18.
BEST BET
Race 11: No 3 Lucky Jinsha
VALUE BET
Race 9: No 8 Decreto
JACKPOT R396
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 9