Lim’s Regard will be aimed towards the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby after his catch-me-if-you-can winning tactics paid handsome dividends on Friday.
Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker said the bold frontrunning four-year-old son of Red Giant has earned a well-deserved break following his 3 ¾-length romp in the $100,000 Super Easy 2012 Stakes, a Kranji Stakes B race over 2000m – and certainly a shot at the third and final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge in July.
Lim's Regard (Ryan Curatolo) holds sway in Race 6 on Friday, picture Singapore Turf Club
The glamour race is now run over 1800m and was recently brought forward by one week to July 15.
“He needed a freshen-up at some stage and since the Derby is in July, he will get it now after today’s win,” said Walker.
“He is a slow-maturing type and he has really strengthened up mentally and physically. We always thought he would be a Derby horse.”
Lim’s Regard ($51) was up in grade after coming off a strong win in Kranji Stakes C company in a mile race on March 18. He was ringing up his fourth win from 13 starts for prizemoney that has shot past the $210,000 mark for the Lim’s Stable.
While loftier targets were always on the agenda for Lim’s Regard, some might have thought jockey Ryan Curatolo may have lost his compass when he allowed his mount to open up to as much as 12 lengths coming off the backstraight.
By the home turn, the tearaway leader did come back about three lengths to the chasing pack headed by Chairman (Vlad Duric), but the gulf in between was clearly not melting away as expected.
Chairman quickly compounded but the next in line, Mighty Kenny (Nooresh Juglall) was not exactly making much of an indent into the margin either, and neither were Darshini (Wong Chin Chuen) or Moment Of Justice (Azhar Ismail).
A proven Irish-bred stayer in Italy, Dee Dee D’Or (Glen Boss) was the one who came the closest to whiffing distance of Lim’s Regard’s clean pair of heels as he went about chipping away at the margin, but the latter never abdicated, hitting the line with the same resolve with which he hit the ground running to score with a healthy gap on a bunch who had for the most of them been caught napping.
Dee Dee D’Or won the battle for the minors, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Excellency (Michael Rodd) who flew from last to secure the last podium berth. The winning time was 2min 1.81secs for the 2000m on the Short Course.
Walker said the plan was to lead, but not by such a big space so early, even if the astute trainer was not all that concerned by the widening gap from the 1400m to the 800m.
“They were not going that hard. He was just left alone in front,” said the New Zealander.
“Mick (Dittman, Lim’s Stable’s racing manager) and I discussed and we thought he would slide forward to go to the front, or take a sit if someone bothered him, but nobody did.
“He just kept running.”
Curatolo said he just rode his own race without worrying too much what the others were doing at the back.
“He went to the front easily and I had no idea they were so far behind me,” said the French jockey.
“He was always on the bridle and I had him going at a good, solid but steady tempo. The way he was going, I didn’t think the others would catch him.
“I gave him a slap on the shoulder at the top of the straight just to get him to kick again and he did.
“Obviously, the trainer has done a good job with him and I feel he will improve further from that run
