Trainer James Peters is banking on another Oscar Racing youngster to shine in a two-year-old feature this Friday – Mr Hooper. Peter has already tasted success last year with the two-year-old Mr Hanks carried the famous yellow and blue spotted silks of Mr Phua Chian Kin (CK) to victory in the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1400m), but narrowly lost the overall 2YO title to Be Bee, the victor in the other big race for 2YO’s, the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m). Mr Hanks ran 10th in that race.
Peters is eyeing on the last Leg of the Singapore Golden Horseshoe series precisely for a outcome at this year’s renewal. Though the Oscar Racing stable have often fielded smart and precocious juveniles in the series, they have yet to win the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe so they are hoping to break a bit of hoodoo this race. Even the Laurie Laxon-trained 2014 champion two-year-old Affleck found one better in Kiwi Karma in the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe before turning the tables on his arch-rival in the Juvenile Championship that year.
A convincing win in a Restricted Maiden race over 1200m (July 1) puts Mr Hooper Mr Hooper though he might have not the same X-factor as Affleck or even Mr Hanks. “Mr Hooper showed from Day 1 he had ability. His trackwork has all along been very good,” said Peters. “I don’t ask too much from my horses in barrier trials as you know, and he certainly didn’t trial too bad at his one barrier trial (second to Toosbies – on June 12 – whom he incidentally beat in second place on debut and will be one of his rivals on Friday). “The rider (Daniel Moor) said it was a very good barrier trial. I then gave him a first run in that Restricted Maiden race. “That was the plan: Get a test out of him and see how good he was. If he wins well, then he will go to the Golden Horseshoe – which he did. “He’s pulled up well. It’s only been two weeks since that run, so I haven’t given him any strenuous fast work since. “He looks well and seems to have held his condition. I just hope he reproduces what he showed on track and at his debut win.”
“It’s a Group 2 race with $325,000 in prize money. Obviously, there will be some nice horses in the race,” he said. “Lim’s Lightning was very impressive at his win and will be hard to beat, Pennywise won two for two. Whether my horse can measure up is a question mark but I hope he can win for us. “He certainly deserves to be in the race.”
