Lizard's Desire gets his revenge in Singapore
Report: Singapore, Sunday
Kranji: Singapore Airlines International Cup (Group 1) 1m2f, turf, 3yo+
TRAINER Mike de Kock added yet another major international Group 1 race to his impressive cv as Lizard's Desire claimed the Singapore Airlines International Cup, in which Presvis could finish only fifth.
A half-length victory was sweet revenge for jockey Kevin Shea, guilty of a premature celebration when the South African four-year-old was touched off by Gloria De Campeao in a frantic finish to the Dubai World Cup in March.
This time, though, it was Shea who had the final chuckle as he brought Lizard's Desire - who shaded favouritism at 3-1 - to collar the gallant Gloria De Campeao, who had set for home a couple of furlongs out as he attempted to repeat last year's win in the Sin$3 million (£1.48m) event.
Shea was overjoyed at turning the tables with Gloria De Campeao, who tracked runaway leader Jolie's Shinju before kicking on two out and, as usual, proving a hard horse to pass.
"He deserved a chance to prove he's a Group 1 winner, and he's taken it," said the rider.
"Glorea De Campeao got away from us in the Dubai World Cup, where he had a soft lead, but today there was a good pace and my horse is a stayer and was suited by the way the race was run.
Mike De Kock
Mike De Kock: another big success
PICTURE: Mark Cranham
"I'm very excited about him and he's got a nice future ahead of him. He's stayer, and my personal opinion is that he could be a Melbourne Cup horse.
"This makes up a little for being beaten so narrowly in Dubai and Hong Kong."
With De Kock at home in Africa for his mother's 80th birthday, assistant trainer Steven Jell admitted the team had reckoned Lizard's Desire might just pick up a decent handicap at Meydan when they took himtothis year's Dubai Carnival.
He actually won two of them - and then stepped right up in class to show himself perfectly at home against the world's best.
"He's come from being a handicapper to winning an international Group 1," said Jell. "And he's done it on different surfaces as well!
"He's such an easy horse to travel," added Jell. "He is so laidback on an aeroplane - then he gets out and does his stuff."
After being dropped out in typical fashion, the Luca Cumani-trained Presvis had a troubled passage and met a little trouble in running in the early stages.
However, he showed no signs of his trademark finishing kick and flattened out in the straight to finish only fifth under Ryan Moore.
Ryan Moore - Lingfield 29.03.10
Ryan Moore: blamed ground
PICTURE: Mark Cranham
The jockey reported: "He lost his near-fore shoe when we got a bump on the first turn, and after that the ground was just too bad for him. The ground was pretty loose."
Matthew Cumani, representing his father, lamented that Presvis had run into misfortune yet again.
"We'd just like to have no excuses with him one day!" he said.
"He lost a shoe, got two bumps and then there was the ground. We might not have beaten the first two, but he would probably have been third but for that.
"Losing the shoe certainly didn't help, especially on that ground, because he hasn't got the best feet anyway.
"He's had a hard time travelling the world since last December, and that was a hard race tonight, so he'll go back home for a rest. Then I'm sure father will start planning again. Perhaps he'll run in England for a change."
A couple of places in front of him and closing well at the line was UAE-trained Al Shemali, who followed up his surprise Dubai Duty Free win with a good third under Royston Ffrench, a length and three-quarters off the first two.
Japanese contender Shadow Gate was withdrawn after knocking himself on the starting gate.
>>SINGAPORE Airlines, which has backed the two major international races, the KrisFlyer Sprint and Singapore Cup, since their inception in 2000, have signed a three-year extension of their sponsorship deal to 2011, with a two-year extension.
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