A rising star in the Singapore sprinting ranks, the Stephen Gray trained Lim's
Cruiser sped clear to score a dominant two length win in the 1200 metre sprint,
but the race produced mixed emotions for the trainer who also saddled Aussie
bred Emperor Max (Holy Roman Emperor).His much loved stable star was resuming from a long layoff, but bled and finished at the tail of the field.
"It's very sad. I really don't know what to say," he began, obviously trying his best to overshadow the sombre atmosphere with a positive spin.
"Lim's Cruiser is the next best thing, he's got gears and I've said from the beginning he was special. He's a good horse, has a great future, his turn of foot is amazing.
"But what happened to Max is just heart-breaking. It was my worst fear for Max, to see him get beat today when he's done so much for us, and for him to bleed was something I didn't even want to think about.
"It's like the best-case scenario and the worst-case scenario all wrapped in the same race. But what do you do? That's racing."
Pausing to recollect his thoughts, Gray was still able to sum this surreal situation the best, and in a bid to beat the blues, give some reassuring news to Emperor Max's legion of fans.
"It's the end of an era, a new era starts," he said with a wry smile.
"I'm very sad for Gordon (Yau) and his family. They're here and it's very hard for them.
"But even if Max bled, we'll fix him up and he will be okay. We had already agreed before the race if things don't work out, he would be retired and that's it, he's run his last race.
"We will send him back to Melbourne where he was born. He deserves a good retirement."
A modest $17,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Eliza Park International
draft, Lim's Cruiser has won six of 11 starts and is the best of two winners
from unraced Good Journey (USA) mare Hope Downs, a daughter of South African Group
I winner Battle Maiden."He's by Casino Prince, and they like a bit of give in the track," Gray said.
"He went right through it very well from the start. He's very special and well done to Mr Lim (Siah Mong), they will have a lot of fun with this horse.
"After he won the Rocket Man Sprint, I thought long and hard about running him in the Lion City Cup, but he was going so well that we took a punt, and he's proven us right. It's the right prep towards the 4YO series."
Kicking off with the Group 2 Stewards' Cup (1400m) on May 28, the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge culminates with the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) on July 9.
Bred by Patinack Farm, Lim's Cruiser is one of 13 stakes-winners for Casino Prince, who stands at Vinery Stud at a fee of $11,000 this spring.
