Secret Asset third behind hometown winner Ato
Report: Singapore, Sunday
Kranji: KrisFlyer Sprint (Group 1) 6f, turf, 3yo+
BRITISH-trained Secret Asset stayed on well to take third place behind hometown winner Ato (Patrick Shaw/Barend Vorster) in the KrisFlyer Sprint.
Odds-on favourite Krypton Factor, the Dubai Golden Shaheen winner, could finish only fifth from his wide draw in the Sin$1m (£500,000) contest.
Winning trainer Patrick Shaw was winning the international sprint for the second year in a row after saddling Rocket Man 12 months ago.
Rocket Man was scratched earlier thisweek with a minor injury, leaving Shaw to rely on the South African-bred four-year-old, who wore down Singapore-trained three-year-old Mr Big in the final furlong.
Secret Asset could not hold an early pitch under George Baker from his inside draw and had to switch outside horses before keeping on well to take third. Ireland's Invincible Ash was seventh.
"He broke okay but couldn't quite lay up with the leaders," said Baker. "I had a really lovely run around the bend, a gap opened, and he ran on well for me. He's better on a faster surface but really, he's run a blinder."
Ato, sent off a 16-1 shot,tracked front-running Yin Xin before being moved out from the rail in the straight and powering home from Mr Big to score by a length and a half.
The winner, a son of Royal Academy, stopped the clock at 1m10.57s for the 6f trip on softish ground.
"It's bitter sweet with Rocket Man not being here but he was my second choice and I was a little bit confident," said winning trainer Shaw.
"He had been keen and he waits for them to go past him then he comes back at them, so I took a chance to leave the blinkers off."
Kieren Fallon reported Krypton Factor did not like the ground. "He can't act on it," said the jockey. "I knew I was in trouble whenthe rain came and he was a beaten horse from a long way out."
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