©Singapore Turf Club
(from Singapore Turf Club report)
Cosmo shoots for the stars with sensational International Cup win
A brilliant performance by Cosmo Bulk and Fuyuki Igarashi will see the $3 Million Singapore Airlines International Cup head to Japan following Sunday night's exhilarating race.
The pace was no where near as hectic as expected and Australian contender Vroom Vroom was able to head to the front and comfortably lead the field with Cosmo Bulk, War Horn and Chiquitin in close contention.
Cosmo Bulk travelled beautifully throughout and always looked to be the one the rest of the field were going to have to run down, once they straightened for home and that was exactly how the final 400m panned out.
"This is a great win for an NAR horse," said the delighted trainer Kazunori Tabe
"Neither the horse or jockey are registered with JRA (Japan Racing Association) so when we return home we will ask the JRA if he can run in the Takarazuka Kinen Group 1 on 10, June over 2200m.
©Singapore Turf Club
"However the owner was not able to be here tonight and we need to speak to him first when the horse returns to Japan.
"It was a great win for Japanese racing and for the NAR," added Tabe.
"Normally he pulls hard in a race but this time he was very relaxed," said jockey Igarashi.
"He travelled so well in the middle of the race that I was very confident and when he handled the bend into the straight so well and then picked up so fast, I knew he would win."
Godolphin's Valixir was a popular pick with the punters but he was over racing midfield and never looked a winning hope with Frankie Dettori disappointed at the effort of the dual Group 1 winner who finished last.
"He ran flat, he was disappointing," said Dettori.
"He just isn't the same horse he was when he won the Group 1 Queen Ann Stakes but we'll be back in the future for sure!"
While there were some disappointing performances these were tempered by some brilliant ones, in particular that of the winner, Hong Kong's ever consistent Bowman's Crossing and Singapore's own King And King who ran the race of his life to run second for Steven Burridge and Richard Lim.
"What a great race! " exclaimed Burridge.
"We knew he was fit and well and it was just a matter of him stepping up and he did it, we're delighted and very happy."
"He gave me a great ride," added Lim.
"I thought I had a chance because in the stretch he just kept coming, but beaten by a better horse."
"I'm very happy with his run," said Caspar Fownes of Bowman's Crossing.
" Earlier this week he was a little tight in his action so we flew in our chiropractor Ross Manson and I give him a lot of credit for doing a great job.
"The horse gave a hundred percent. It's now the season's end in Hong Kong so I'll give him a quiet time and even at the age of seven I plan to bring him back with the aim of running him in either the International Mile or International Cup in Sha Tin in December.
By Joann Adams - Singapore Turf Club
Singapore Turf Club website: http://www.turfclub.com.sg/
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