Despite the recent defeats, Michael Rodd remained confident Debt Collector can still bounce back to his best form.
The Cliff Brown-trained champion galloper has scored eight wins including three at Group 1 level, but he has now suffered four defeats in a row, including one overseas in Dubai, and the last two coming in the first two Legs of his main campaign this year, the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge.
First-up in the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup (1400m) after a short break following his surprise defeat by Jupiter Gold in an Open Stakes race over 1600m, excuses could be formulated that he was not quite ready over a distance not made to suit. He closed in but somehow his usual lethal burst went missing as he could only muster a fourth-placed finish to Alibi.
Debt Collector has won only one race this year, but jockey Michael Rodd is staying in his corner, picture Singapore Turf Club
Three weeks later, the mood was noticeably more bullish in the Group 1 Patron’s Bowl (1600m). The trip was more up his alley, and he should theoretically be fitter for the run second-up.
Unfortunately, the result was almost a carbon copy of the Stewards’ Cup run. He loomed on the outside from the top of the straight, but he again flatlined to run a disappointing sixth to Alibi, even beaten by Absolute Miracle, a horse who was way out of the handicap in the set weight race given the more than 15 kilo gap in rating between the two.
At both defeats, Debt Collector started as the $14 favourite, and though he did not entirely fall by the wayside, more was expected from a champion of his calibre.
Rodd was certainly not writing off the horse he has partnered to seven of his eight wins, but one could feel that the confidence has ebbed away ever so slightly.
“He still ran the best sectionals inside the last 600m (in the Patron’s Bowl), but he does not do himself any favour by running the way he does,” said the Australian hoop.
“He always gives his rivals a start when he drops out at the rear, and it gets harder when you are competing against horses who have also improved a lot in the meantime, like Alibi, Infantry and Lim’s Cruiser. When those guys quicken off, he has to really lift to play catch-up.
“He has pulled up well after the race, and that is the most important thing.”
Debt Collector finished out of the placings in the US$6 million Group 1 Dubai Turf (1800m), but Rodd preferred not to look in the rear view mirror.
“There was an opportunity to go and the owners (Barree Stable) and Cliff took it. We have learned a lot from that trip,” said Rodd who rode the son of Thorn Park in Dubai.
“It’s easy to be wise after the event, but that’s the way it is. The horse was flying and had a good prep, but things did not quite work out there.
“More importantly, he has come back good and we are now focused in getting him back to his best form.”
Debt Collector, who has chalked up close to $1.5 million in stakes in only 15 starts, has never raced beyond 1800m.
Debt Collector is currently entered in the Singapore Derby along with Elite Excalibur, who nearly stole the Patron’s Bowl last Sunday, only to lose out by a whisker, and Magstock.
