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EL DORADO's form has been
anything but encouraging since winning the prestigious S$1.35m Singapore Gold Cup
last year, being unplaced in nine starts since his big win 12 months ago.
But the Japanese gelding
raised his game when it mattered most to win the Singapore Group 1 event for
the second year running for his Japanese trainer and owner.
The dye-in-the-wool stayer
did it in course record time, clocking 2:14.8, slicing 0.3 second off the
precious mark set by CARRY THE FLAG in 1999 and equalled by KUTUB in 2001.
Trainer Hideyuki Takaoka
said the second Gold Cup victory was much more satisfying than last year’s.
“It was very good to win the race last year, but to
get the horse back into the form he had in winning last year, makes this
very satisfying.
EL DORADO (Stay Gold -
White Leap by White Muzzle) was given a
perfect run by jockey Ronnie Stewart, tracking the favourite GIVEN VISION
(Belong To Me - Aurum Valley by Made Of Gold), winner of five of his eight
starts.
These two were taken wide
out of runners for the their at the top of the straight. GIVEN VISION,
ridden by Vladimir Duric, hit the front momentarily but EL DORADO quickly
run him down and kicked away in the closing stages to win by one and a half
lengths.
South African import DESERT
LINKS (Kahal - Selborne Park by Home Guard) was third in the capacity field
of 16 runners.
EL DORADO became the first
horse since GRANADIER (1965 and 1966) to win in the Gold Cup in successive
years. SAAS FEE won the Gold Cup twice in 1978 and 1980 but the only horse
to win the Gold Cup thrice was THREE RINGS who triumphed in 1954, 1956 and
1957.
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