After Lucky Jinsha thumped his rivals at his three-in-a-row a month ago, some would think the picket fence should keep going this Sunday, but the Tim Fitzsimmons camp weren’t so sure it’ll be four-time Lucky this time.
The in-form Australian trainer is not changing a winning formula for the vastly-improved Shooting To Win four-year-old. He will run him on his pet course and distance of 1200m on Polytrack, over which he has scored all his four wins thus far.
But at his 5 ½-length romp on January 8, Lucky Jinsha ran a fair bunch of Class 4 gallopers into the ground while he now challenges much stronger Class 3 gallopers in the $70,000 event.
Fitzsimmons was not ruling out a fourth hurrah, but could at the same time come up with a few factors that could work against the Hong Kong-owned gelding.
"It's a big step-up in class. He'll be running in a quality field," said Cliff Brown's former right-hand man.
"But he deserves his chance. We've got to step him up, so he can experience a different tempo.
"We'll see how he goes. A lot will depend on the barrier draw.
"He trialled well last Thursday (won) and he's really well."
Though he drifted out three wide for race-rider and last-start winning partner Manoel Nunes, Lucky Jinsha kept putting in the big bounds to go and win from leader I Am Sacred (Saifudin Ismail) in the slick time of 59.08 seconds for the 1000m.
For all intents and purposes, he probably ran quicker given the wide path he plotted for most of the barrier trial, and the way he still hit the line strongly can give Fitzsimmons a few ideas.
"If he does well this weekend, I'll step him up to 1400m next," he said.
"There are few more tricks to his trade, I feel, but we'll still take it one race at a time. He's already done an amazing job to rise from Class 5 to Class 3."
Nunes also echoed Fitzsimmons' sentiments Sunday's event won't be a walk in the park for the Lucky Unicorn Stable-owned galloper, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
"It's a very strong field, almost like a Class 2, at least horses who have the capacity to end up in Class 2 one day," said the Brazilian jockey who has struck up a fruitful association with Fitzsimmons since he returned to Singapore at the end of last year with 10 winners sealed together.
"Siam Warrior is a very good horse, and King Arthur is also an up-and-coming horse.
"My horse is well. I won with him at his last start and he was very impressive.
"He's quite a big horse and he showed some speed then. In my opinion, he likes to go forward, but it really depends on what barrier he draws."
