New Zealand-bred gelding Sure Will Do will put his unbeated record on the line when he lines up in a 1200m event in Singapore on Saturday.
The Stephen Gray-trained son of Per Incanto posted a winning debut over 1200m in October, backing it up with a win over the same distance last month when he demolished his rivals by drawing clear to gap them by 2 ¾ lengths.
“This horse has kept stepping up,” Gray said. “He impressed me with his last win, when he carried his weight in a Novice.
“We didn’t want him to lead, but he kicked away from them and left nice horses behind. Some were very good three-year-olds who have gone on to win.”
Gray is not changing the winning combination for the steering duties. Champion apprentice jockey Simon Kok Wei Hoong, who is on the cusp of landing back-to-back titles, will be attempting to extend the unblemished record to three.
“Simon stays on. He doesn’t ride him in trackwork as the rules (apprentice jockeys can’t ride trackwork for trainers other than their master) don’t allow him,” said Gray.
“The horse seems to have improved both physically and mentally. We have chipped away with the same pattern, but on his breeding, he can get further one day.
“These horses get beaten one day, too, you know, but for now, I don’t change what works.
“After this run, I will give him a bit of a break and see what feature races come up next year. Most probably, it’ll be the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, but the details for 2021 are not out yet.”
Sure Will Do was purchased out of Little Avondale’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 draft for $210,000.
