SINGAPORE - The Cox Plate in Melbourne next spring will be at the top of the agenda for New Zealand mare Hill Of Grace following her game fourth in the Singapore International Cup.
Hill Of Grace was beaten more than 2 1/2 lengths by the winner Endless Hall early yesterday but it nonetheless remained a creditable effort considering the winner smashed the track record.
Endless Hall posted a time of 2:0.8 for the 2000m carving 1.5 seconds off the previous mark of 2:2.3.
Waikato trainer Robert Priscott said the $A2.25 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley provided Hill Of Grace with a couple of factors in her favour.
"The distance of 2000m seems to suit her well so the Cox Plate will be her main aim," said Priscott.
"She's won at Moonee Valley before and handles the strathayr surface, so she's worth a shot."
Priscott said he was also encouraged by Hill Of Grace in that she measured up to Saturday night's two favourites Jim And Tonic and Silvano.
Jim And Tonic was little more than 1 3/4lengths ahead of Hill Of Grace in second place and Silvano was half a length back fifth.
"That's Sunline company so she would deserve her chance in a race like the Cox Plate," Priscott said.
Sydney jockey Corey Brown reckoned Hill Of Grace would have been a winning chance with an additional 200m.
"Another furlong and she outstays them," said Brown.
"She never gave up. She just kept whacking and whacking. She never gave up a yard."
Last night's race carried a stake of $S3 million and Hill Of Grace earned $S157,500. Of that $S127,500 goes to owner Terry Jarvis while Priscott and Brown each earned $S15,000.
Endless Hall, a five-year-old gelding by Sadlers' Hall, is trained at Newmarket in England by Luca Cumani who was not on hand for Saturday night's race because of racing commitments at home.
Endless Hall was ridden by rising star Jamie Spencer who is attached to Cumani stable and is only 20.
Spencer has already ridden two group one winners with the first being at the age of 17 when taking out the Irish Two Thousand Guineas.
Spencer is in big demand. He was to have flown out of Singapore at midnight for a 13-hour trip, via Zurich, to ride in France the next day. He was engaged to ride Black Minnaloushe in the French Two Thousand Guineas.
Jim And Tonic, the favourite at a dividend of $17 for a $5 bet, raced in fourth position and had his chance to run down the winner but could not bridge the gap to go down by three-quarters of a length.
Spencer said the way Endless Hall was travelling he was confident he would take some pegging back after reaching the lead at the top of the straight.
"Once he got to the front it was going to take a bear to pass him," he said.
Jim And Tonic held second by a short head from the French-trained With The Flow who was sixth with 800m to run.
German-trained Silvano, the second favourite at $18 for a $5 bet, and jockey Andreas Suborics wondered whether the bruised heel the horse was troubled with last week had taken its toll.
"He is probably still feeling the effects of the problem we had earlier in the week with his shoe," Suborics said.
"He tried to get on his game but this was not the Silvano I know."
New Zealand Oaks winner Tapildo finished second-last of the 10 runners after being in the rear throughout.
Singapore-based New Zealand trainer Laurie Laxon said the speed was just too much for Tapildo who was having her first start for three months.
The other international race, the inaugural $S1 million Singapore Sprint (1200m), went to the French-trained Iron Mask who is actually a two-year-old.
He is officially recorded as a three-year-old but does not become three until June. The Danzig colt was having his ninth start for a record of four wins and three seconds.
Iron Mask is trained by Criquette Head-Maarek who has long been a leading trainer in France. At just her second year as a trainer she won one of the world's great races, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in France in 1980.
She also produced third-placed With The Flow in last night's Singapore International Cup.
Iron Mask ran down the Singapore-trained Trillion Win to score by half a length.
There was 1 1/2 lengths to third-placed Toledo from Australia while the Hong Kong-trained Plenty-Plenty was fourth and New Zealand-bred Pacific Prince fifth.
- NZPA
Racing: Grace heading for Sunline country
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