GITANO HERNANDO SCORES SINGAPORE AIRLINES CUP
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 08:10AM 
Click above to watch Gitano Hernando and River Jetez fighting out the
Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1)
(Image and Footage : Singapore Turf Club)
SINGAPORE AIRLINES INTERNATIONAL CUP
Kranji, Turf, 2000m
22 May 2011
David Thiselton
Gold CircleSouth African trainer Herman Brown won the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Grade 1) at Kranji racecourse on Sunday, for the second time in his career, thanks to his newly acquired Gitano Hernando who was given a brilliant ride by South African jockey Glyn Schofield, while fellow South Africans, trainer Pat Shaw and jockey Felix Coetzee, landed the other big international Grade 1 on the card, the KrisFlyer International Sprint, with the amazing Rocket Man. South African dominance didn’t end there as the Mike de Kock-trained and Bernard Fayd’Herbe-ridden River Jetez finished second in the Singapore Airlines International Cup.
Brown won this race with the South African-bred Jay Peg in 2008. Gitano Hernando, who is by Hernando, joined his yard immediately after running in the Dubai World Cup and this was the five-year-old entire’s second run in the colours of Chechnyan President Ramzan Kadyrov. Schofield has become known as a master of pace judgement and used this skill to telling effect. He soon had Gitano Hernando out in front and was able to dictate a steady pace. Brown said afterwards, “It was a great ride by Glyn. In fact he really stole the race. This horse is more of a staying type, better suited to 2400m, so we thought our best chance was to make the pace and it all worked out.” De Kock watched from Clairwood and felt River Jetez had run a very good race. The seven-year-old Jet Master mare lost her position twice in the race, so did very well to claim the runner up spot. Gitano Hernando was allowed to run around her on the first turn after Fayd’Herbe had initially done well to claim a position right near the head of affairs from a wide draw. On the final turn River Jetez, who had been lying in about third place, was shuffled back as a number of horses ran around her in the steady-paced race. However, she picked up superbly after they had straightened and passed all of those horses again but couldn’t get to Gitano Hernando, who held on by 0,5 lengths.
Brown said the Melbourne Cup might be an option for his charge, although nothing is concrete yet. De Kock will take River Jetez to England to prepare her for a crack at the Beverley D Stakes over about 1900m at Arlington in the USA in August.
Rocket Man, who was purchased by Durban bloodstock agent Andy Williams in Australia and is owned by South African Fred Crabbia, proved he is getting better all the time and for the second time in succession landed a big international sprint by a facile margin. The six-year-old gelding by Viscount can also go on any surface as that last big race win was on the tapeta in Dubai where he romped home with the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over 1200m. He has now won 17 from 20 starts and finished narrow seconds in the other three including twice in the KrisFlyer and once in the Golden Shaheen. Felix Coetzee, as cool as ever, had him in the leading three throughout from his wide draw in the 1200m turf event and drew away as he liked in the straight to win by nearly five lengths. Rocket Man’s Kranji home crowd were jubilant that their idol’s jinx in this race had finally been laid to rest.
Singapore Airlines International Cup (G1)
Final Results
| # | Margin | Horse | Sire | Kg | Dr | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0 | GITANO HERNANDO (GB) | Hernando | 57.0 | 4 | G Schofield | H Brown |
| 2 | 0.5 | RIVER JETEZ (SAF) | Jet Master | 55.5 | 9 | B Fayd’Herbe | M de Kock |
| 3 | 1.5 | IRIAN (GER) | Tertullian | 57.0 | 5 | D Beadman | J Moore |
| 4 | 1.5 | WAIKATO (NZ) | Pins | 57.0 | 6 | J Moreira | L Laxon |
| 5 | 2.0 | CHINCHON (IRE) | Marju | 57.0 | 12 | G Mosse | C Laffon-Parias |
| 6 | 2.3 | RISKY BUSINESS (AUS) | Danehill Dancer | 57.0 | 10 | G Boss | S Burridge |
| 7 | 3.8 | WIGMORE HALL (IRE) | High Chaparral | 57.0 | 3 | J Spencer | M Bell |
| 8 | 4.6 | CALIFORNIA MEMORY (USA) | Highest Honour | 57.0 | 13 | M Chadwick | A Cruz |
| 9 | 5.6 | ROYAL BENCH (IRE) | Whipper | 57.0 | 7 | O Doleuze | R Collet |
| 10 | 6.1 | PRESVIS (GB) | Sakhee | 57.0 | 2 | R Hughes | L Cumani |
| 11 | 8.1 | NEW ROSE WOOD (AUS) | Love A Dane | 55.5 | 1 | KB Soo | D Koh |
| 12 | 8.9 | FATKID (NZ) | Handsome Ransom | 57.0 | 8 | I Azhar | HK Tan |
Extract from Gold Circle
Reader Comments