Tough-as-nails galloper Alibi finally earned a richly-deserved Group success after he took out the $300,000 Group 2 Stewards’ Cup (1400m) on Sunday.

Twice the bridesmaid in feature races, last year’s Group 3 Saas Fee (1400m) and the last month’s Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) when a luckless second to Lim’s Cruiser, the Darci Brahma entire had all his ducks in a row this time around.

Taking a sit outside the moderate tempo set by noted frontrunner Oxbow Sun (Wong Chin Chuen) from the get-go, the Michael Clements-trained galloper went on to put up a sterling display of courage as he swept to the lead upon straightening up.

 

All the big guns, namely favourite Lim’s Cruiser (Danny Beasley), Debt Collector (Michael Rodd) and Infantry (Manoel Nunes), made their runs at the same time as they spread across the straight, but well rated by Glen Boss, Alibi had them safely held all the way to the line for a most commendable victory in the first Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge.

While the two most popular choices from the quartet unanimously thought as the top four seeds - Lim’s Cruiser (even-money favourite) and Debt Collector ($14) - could not quite lift their game inside the last 200m, with Debt Collector even trying to savage Lim’s Cruiser at the 50m, the issue was in the end brilliantly sorted out between the next two in line.

Infantry ($46) bravely chipped away with every stride, but Alibi ($28) never abdicated, hanging on for dear life to the advantage gained from that decisive first run he made when he pounced to the lead at the 400m mark.

Alibi went on to score by half-a-length from Infantry with Lim’s Cruiser third another half-a-length away while Debt Collector, first-up from his unsuccessful Dubai raid in March, peaked on his run after coming from last as per his usual racing pattern, to finish fourth another length away. The winning time was 1min 21.2secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.

Clements, who captured his highest accolade with Countofmontecristo’s Group 2 win in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic on April 14, was overwhelmed with emotion as the reality of a second Group 2 silverware falling his way six weeks later, dawned on him.

The longest-serving expat trainer at Kranji has had mixed fortunes in his 19 years of training in Singapore since relocating from his native Zimbabwe, but 2017 has been by far his best season, and it looks like more is yet to come.

“His prep has just gone great for him. He has come back stronger and more mature as a four-year-old,” said Clements, who is now a naturalised Singaporean.

“He looked great in the paddock. He jumped good from his barrier and credit to Glen Boss as this is exactly how he said he would ride him. It worked like clockwork.

“Like I always said, he will go for all three Legs. The mile (of the second Leg, the Group 1 Patron’s Bowl on June 18) will not be a problem for him.

“Obviously, there is always a question mark whether he can get the 2000m (of the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby on July 9), but I think he will be right.”

Basking in the glory of yet another feature win courtesy of a masterstroke of a ride, Boss said he had headed into the race brimming with confidence, a little puzzled at the way the market was skewed against his bloke.

“He is such a lovely horse. He is probably the smallest horse in the race, but he has such a big heart,” said the Australian Hall of Fame jockey, who is also Countofmontecristo’s regular partner.

“He ran very well on a soft track at his last run (Lion City Cup) but his chances were ruined when he got smashed at the start.

“To his credit, he was very brave in defeat. The margin was two lengths but he could have been beaten a neck.

“I thought there was a discrepancy in the market today. To me, he should have been the favourite, especially over seven furlongs.

“He dug deep and refused to be passed. He was very strong to the line.”

With the second Leg due in three weeks’ time, the trio who queued up right behind Alibi will no doubt be seeking to exact revenge on their nemesis. They have certainly lost no admirers, especially their trainers and jockeys.

“I thought there would be more pace to the race, but when I saw Alibi outside the leader, I decided to get a cart behind him,” said Nunes, an unabashed fan of Infantry from a long way out.

“I was happy with his position, but like I said before, the 1400m is the right distance for Alibi, and it was always hard to pull the ground off him.

“But my horse tried hard, and is very honest. I’m very pleased with that result.”

Team Stephen Gray was understandably a little down Lim’s Cruiser’s fantastic run of three Group successes on the bounce have come to a halt, but the Kiwi handler was not at all disappointed with the Casino Prince three-year-old’s third place.

“It was a huge run. He got a long way back and just couldn’t seem to get to the winner,” said Gray.

“It was a slowly run race and Glen Boss got it right, but we are still happy with Cruiser’s run. Can’t wait for the mile.”

Rodd, who has partnered Debt Collector to all his eight wins bar one, said the 2016 Singapore Horse of the Year needed the run and was confident he would improve at his next start.

“He went real good, but he just blew out in the end,” said the Australian hoop.

“That’s what happens with such horses, they tend to level out a little bit, but he still ran a great race.

“He stuck his head at Lim’s Cruiser in the last bit. He did that to Magnum when he charged home in the Guineas, it was so quick most didn’t see it, but Corey Brown nearly fell off!

“He will run with a muzzle from now on!”

With that sixth win from 11 outings, Alibi has seen his takings swell past the $600,000 mark for the Alibi Stable.