By Alan Carasso
Chopins Fantaisie (NZ) (Pins {Aus}), the full-brother to former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon (NZ), returns to action in Friday's seventh race at Kranji Racecourse, a Class 3 test over 1400m as he looks to remain perfect in five career trips to the post.
The son of Golden Gamble (NZ) (Oregon), purchased by trainer Michael Clements for NZ$150,000 out of the 2015 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, kicked off his career with a cosy tally over the local Polytrack and has since rattled off three more wins on turf, including a half-length success in a BM67 in which he outbattled the filly Aotearoa (NZ) (Sakhee's Secret {GB}) by a hard-fought half-length(video). Chopins Fantaisie has never started at odds longer than 9-5 while favoured in each of his four runs and that streak is certain to continue Friday evening. The bay gelding tuned up for this test with a quiet fourth in a barrier trial over the Poly Aug. 15 (video).
Should he come through Friday's effort in good order, Chopins Fantaisie is tentatively scheduled to make his stakes debut in the Committee's Prize (1600m) Sept. 17 en route to the Raffles Cup (1800m) Oct. 22.
“The aim is to run him in the Committee's Prize which is a handicap race,” Clements said following Chopins Fantaisie's most recent trial. “He needs to pick up a few rating points and I'm sure there'll be a few low-rated horses like him that will also get into that. Depending on how he runs and how he pulls up, then we will set him for the Raffles Cup.”
Glen Boss has the return call for Friday's seventh race on an eight-race program. Post time is set for 9:50 p.m.
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