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One thing
missing from trainer Steven Burridge¡¯s 2010 CV
is a win in a feature race.
While it is
unlikely to happen in Sunday¡¯s Group 1 $500,000
Raffles Cup over 1800m, the Burridge stable will at least be represented
with Drovetti.
Burridge has
all but sown up the Trainer¡¯s Premiership for
2010, holding a commanding 29 win lead with just 17 meetings remaining.
With 81
winners to his credit Burridge has had a stellar season with reigning
champion and six-time premiership winner Laurie Laxon being the first
there to congratulate him on a number of occasions.
But we have
to go back to the win of Trigger Express in the 2008 Queen
Elizabeth
II Cup to find his last feature race win.
Drovetti
will be taking on the likes of Better Than Ever, Waikato, Big Maverick
and co on Sunday in the second leg of the Singapore Triple Crown Series.
Drovettiwill represent the Burridge stable in Sunday's Raffles Cup.
And the now
six-year-old son of Mossman could then be heading towards the Group 1
$1.35 million Singapore Gold Cup over 2200m on November 14, joining
stablemate and winner from last Sunday Risky Business in Singapore¡¯s
richest domestic race.
¡°He¡¯s going OK
at the moment but there are no other suitable races for him,¡± said Burridge. ¡°Hopefully now
is the time he may turn his form around.
¡°We are looking towards the Gold Cup
with him although I must say I have some reservations about him running
the distance.¡±
Drovetti has
yet to race over 2200m although he has been to the 2000m on three
previous occasions with a best finish being fourth behind Race Ahead in
the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth Cup II in April.
In the 2009
Emirates Singapore Derby Drovetti bled when finishing second-last behind
Jolie¡¯s Shinju. He contested the Group 1
Singapore Airlines International Cup in May, finishing ninth, requiring
surgery soon after to remove bone chips from his nearside fetlock joint.
Drovetti has
had the three runs back following a spell, all in Group races ¨C in fact his last six starts have been in Group company
¨C with the gelding finishing a last start 7.2 length seventh
behind Better Than Ever in the Group 1 Kranji Mile over 1600m on October
3.
¡°He¡¯s getting
fitter and he has gone OK in his three runs back,¡±
said Burridge. ¡°This race will tell us where we
are going.
¡°Like I said there is not much around
for him so we might press on towards the Gold Cup.
¡°Risky Business looks as though he
should get into the field now after his win on Sunday and he stays on
pretty well and should have no problem running the trip.¡±
Burridge
mistakenly entered the lightly-raced Mr Raffles for Sunday¡¯s race, but a mishap at the swimming pool last week
will see him back in his box come raceday.
Mr Raffles,
a winner at three of his four starts since arriving in Singapore, was
instead being aimed at the Group 2 $350,000 EW Barker Trophy over 1400m
on November 7 but Burridge thinks he may have run out of time in getting
the gelding to that race.
¡°He got spooked and suffered a cut
down at the pool last week,¡± said Burridge.
¡°The cut was only superficial but we
had to ease up on him for a couple of days. He started back doing some
light-work on Monday but I¡¯m just fearful we may
have run out of time to have him ready.
¡°We¡¯ll just
play it by ear and if I think he¡¯s ready I might
run him, but if he¡¯s not he can stay home.
¡°I think he¡¯s
too valuable to risk if not right.¡±
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