Singapore Turf Club
Two-time Singapore champion jockey Manoel Nunes bid Kranji farewell on a high after Nova Strike (NZ) (Red Giant) stormed home to an easy win in the S$175,000 Colonial Chief Stakes race over 1700m on Sunday.
With regular partner Nunes back in the saddle, Nova Strike was bustled up early to slip into second place, following the Lee Freedman-trained Lim’s Archer who shot to the front from the get-go.
Turning for home, the $24 second favourite accelerated to go past the leader. As Nunes gave him a few cracks of the whip, the chestnut gelding immediately broke loose and raced away with ease, scoring by four-and-a-half-lengths from Magstock who came from the clouds to run second.
Lim’s Archer held on well to finish another half-a-length away in third. $18 favourite Fortune Winner was a tad dour and was beaten a short head into fifth place by Mighty Kenny.
The Nova Racing Stable-owned Nova Strike wrote a new course record of 1min 42.87secs on the Polytrack over 1700m, a little over a second faster than Dragonfly’s record in 2013.
With eight wins, eight seconds and five thirds in 35 starts, Nova Strike has now raked in more than $860,000 for Ivan Onn’s Nova Racing stable. -STC