After failing to measure up in the Group 3 Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint (1200m), Teardrops will be looking to bounce back in easier company this Sunday.
Realistically, trainer Tim Fitzsimmons knew the Argentinian-bred mare and two-time winner over 1000m back home, had the job ahead in the three-year-old feature on June 27, though two encouraging warm-up runs at Kranji – a second and a third in Polytrack sprints – did leave room for a touch of hope.
Teardrops was, however, never a factor after travelling out wide, beating two home around 18 lengths off the winner Tiger Roar.
Fitzsimmons has freshened the Forever Lucky Stable-owned mare up since, and from her dominant barrier trial win last Thursday, it would appear the regrouping has paid off.
Though slow out of the machine, Teardrops quickly mustered speed on the outside for Oscar Chavez to skip to the front. Looking fluid in her action on the all-weather, she scooted off in the straight before easing down to a 3 ¼-length win from Shepherd's Hymn, clocking 59.46 seconds for the 1000m.
Whether she can open her Kranji account this Sunday in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1000m is a question mark, but Fitzsimmons is definitely expecting a much better run than her last.
"There was a lot of speed in her last race and she couldn't get across. Things just didn't pan out for her," said the Australian handler.
"It was never my intention to push on towards the 1400m race (Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic). She's a two-time winner over 1000m on dirt in Argentina.
"I gave her a freshen-up and will run her in that Class 4 1000m race this Sunday. She trialled well the other day, even if she sat back in the gates and was a little slow out, but I don't think that will be a problem this Sunday.
"Oscar will ride her. She will again wear a shadow roll which she wore in Argentina, as she has quite a high head carriage."
Fitzsimmons said that, like most horses bred in the South American country, they need a certain time to acclimatise.
"She's still adjusting to the local conditions," said Cliff Brown's former assistant-trainer.
"Don't forget that she is more used to going straight back home. She struggled around the turns here, but she's shown lately that she's getting the hang of it."
Known as Dosis Perfecta (Perfect Dose in English) in Argentina, Teardrops, who is by Endorsement (x Distorted Humor), is the only Kranji-based horse still raced by the Forever Lucky Stable, better remembered for handy horses such as Threeandfourpence, Baffert and Trading Post when Brown was still around.
After Brown returned to Australia in March, Trading Post, who showed promise with one win in four starts at Kranji, also jumped on the plane as part of the 10-odd horses who followed their handler. The Fighting Sun four-year-old has even reverted to his original Salton Sea name he was known as in Adelaide where he was a one-from-one winner for Will Clarken.
Salton Sea happens to be racing this Sunday as well as another former Forever Lucky Stable galloper, Solar Eclipse, now registered as Eclipse Solar at Geelong, but the biggest boom will be on Brown's stable star Inferno, also renamed as The Inferno, making his much-awaited Australian racing debut at Caulfield on Saturday.
Last year's Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) winner will be thrown in at the deep end in a Listed race, the Regal Roller Stakes (1200m), up against a classy field headed by Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Away Game.
Brown, who was among one of Singapore's leading trainers during his 13 years at Kranji, has, from four runners at his old Victorian base, yet to get on the scoresheet since his relocation, with four-time winner Bluestone (now racing as Bluestone Lane) the first of the Kranji batch to have faced the starter in Australia, running fifth at Sale on July 25.
