Horse racing is all about taking a chance however the odds stacked against you, and trainer Tan Hor Khoon is one who subscribes to that belief for having once been repaid handsomely for it.
Five years ago, he himself was just as sceptical as the punters who took a wide berth from his Fatkid (NZ) (Handsome Ramson), then a humble Graduation winner, in the Group 3 Fortune Bowl (2000m) in 2011.
The rest as they say is history. The $66 shot beat heavyweights like Gold Cup winner Risky Business and future Derby winner Clint and two months later caught a bigger fish, the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), at lukewarm odds again, $56.
Tan has thrown another curveball in this Sunday's $500,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m), the last Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, and this time, his level of confidence is even lower, even if deep down, you have a feeling the Singaporean handler won't rule out anything "freakish in the Fatkiddish style".
Special Force (NZ) (Falkirk) won his only race three starts back, a humble Initiation race over 1200m, first-up from a four-month break. He then ran on for third to Humdinger in a Class 4 race before beating one home at his last start in a Graduation race, both over seven furlongs, hardly the resume to seduce punters to his chance in a race like the Guineas.
But Tan explained he felt he owed a token ticket to the owners who had made the Singapore 3YO Challenge their main objective when they invested in three-year-olds at the sales.
"The owners (ATL Stable) bought a lot of young horses with the 3YO series in mind. Awesome was always going to be their 1200m horse and Special Force in the mile Leg," said Tan.
"Awesome did okay when he ran third to Conflight in the first Leg (Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint over 1200m) but he was never meant to go beyond that. He's a pure sprinter and 1200m is his max.
"We had targeted the Guineas for Special Force even if he's a horse who had tendon issues. It's always a question mark if a horse with such problems can make it, but he's come back good and won well first-up.
"His last run was disappointing, but to be fair, things did not quite go his way. He was caught wide and overraced.
"We still decided to enter him in the Guineas as we turn three only once and we got in."
Though Tan hopes against hope for another shock result in a feature race, he's learned to never say never after that watershed year in 2011 when Fatkid's double dare turned double delight.
"I'm a realist. Fatkid was also a longshot but it was different," he said. "For this one, the chances are almost zero against horses like Mr Scorsese, Magnum, Debt Collector and all the other big guns. Their ratings are so high while mine is so low (50) and they carry the same weight (57kg).
"The only good news is his barrier one. Whether he can measure up is another story, but the horse is fit and well. All his work has been geared towards this race and now we can only hope for a good run.
"If he can run like Awesome in the first Leg, say top four, I'll be happy."
Tan has surprisingly booked a rider he doesn't often use, Kif Toh but revealed he did not ditch Benny Woodworth, Special Force's partner at his recent starts.
"Benny said he had another ride, but in the end, he had none. Mark Ewe sometimes rides for the owner, but he just came back from injury and is not 100% fit," said Tan.
"Though Kif cannot claim in this race, we like his style and we hope he can deliver. From barrier one, at least his task will be made slightly easier." -STC
Five years ago, he himself was just as sceptical as the punters who took a wide berth from his Fatkid (NZ) (Handsome Ramson), then a humble Graduation winner, in the Group 3 Fortune Bowl (2000m) in 2011.
The rest as they say is history. The $66 shot beat heavyweights like Gold Cup winner Risky Business and future Derby winner Clint and two months later caught a bigger fish, the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m), at lukewarm odds again, $56.
Tan has thrown another curveball in this Sunday's $500,000 Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m), the last Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, and this time, his level of confidence is even lower, even if deep down, you have a feeling the Singaporean handler won't rule out anything "freakish in the Fatkiddish style".
Special Force (NZ) (Falkirk) won his only race three starts back, a humble Initiation race over 1200m, first-up from a four-month break. He then ran on for third to Humdinger in a Class 4 race before beating one home at his last start in a Graduation race, both over seven furlongs, hardly the resume to seduce punters to his chance in a race like the Guineas.
But Tan explained he felt he owed a token ticket to the owners who had made the Singapore 3YO Challenge their main objective when they invested in three-year-olds at the sales.
"The owners (ATL Stable) bought a lot of young horses with the 3YO series in mind. Awesome was always going to be their 1200m horse and Special Force in the mile Leg," said Tan.
"Awesome did okay when he ran third to Conflight in the first Leg (Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint over 1200m) but he was never meant to go beyond that. He's a pure sprinter and 1200m is his max.
"We had targeted the Guineas for Special Force even if he's a horse who had tendon issues. It's always a question mark if a horse with such problems can make it, but he's come back good and won well first-up.
"His last run was disappointing, but to be fair, things did not quite go his way. He was caught wide and overraced.
"We still decided to enter him in the Guineas as we turn three only once and we got in."
Though Tan hopes against hope for another shock result in a feature race, he's learned to never say never after that watershed year in 2011 when Fatkid's double dare turned double delight.
"I'm a realist. Fatkid was also a longshot but it was different," he said. "For this one, the chances are almost zero against horses like Mr Scorsese, Magnum, Debt Collector and all the other big guns. Their ratings are so high while mine is so low (50) and they carry the same weight (57kg).
"The only good news is his barrier one. Whether he can measure up is another story, but the horse is fit and well. All his work has been geared towards this race and now we can only hope for a good run.
"If he can run like Awesome in the first Leg, say top four, I'll be happy."
Tan has surprisingly booked a rider he doesn't often use, Kif Toh but revealed he did not ditch Benny Woodworth, Special Force's partner at his recent starts.
"Benny said he had another ride, but in the end, he had none. Mark Ewe sometimes rides for the owner, but he just came back from injury and is not 100% fit," said Tan.
"Though Kif cannot claim in this race, we like his style and we hope he can deliver. From barrier one, at least his task will be made slightly easier." -STC