Inferno Untouchable in Lion City Cup

Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) is developing into an unstoppable force in Singapore racing – a reputation the Karaka graduate enhanced with another powerhouse performance in Sunday’s S$400,000 Listed Lion City Cup (1200m) at Kranji. 

Bought from Westbury Stud’s Book 1 draft for $140,000, Inferno recorded the eighth victory of his nine-start career. Sunday’s spectacular victory took him past S$900,000 in stakes, which is more than six times his purchase price.

Inferno was in a different class to his Lion City Cup rivals. The four-year-old broke well from the starting gate, but eased back into the second half of the field as the leaders set a strong pace through the first 600 metres of the race.

Approaching the home turn, jockey Vlad Duric angled Inferno to the outside and set him alight. The favourite rapidly devoured his six or seven-length deficit and exploded to the lead, careering away with ease to win by two and a quarter lengths in a time of 1:08.28.

“I haven’t ridden a horse like Inferno in Singapore,” Duric said. “It’s just very exciting for Cliff Brown (trainer), Chris Bock (racing manager), Glenn Whittenbury (Baree stable, owner), and for the Singapore Turf Club. It’s something that the club needs in these tough times, just to give itself a lift.

“This horse is an absolute ripper. He’s a wonderful horse. In the race today, I just let him show what he’s made of. When I let him loose, he did it very, very easily.”

Bred by Westbury Stud, Inferno has now won five stakes races. His previous black-type successes came in the Golden Horseshoe (1200m), Saas Fee Stakes (1200m), Singapore Classic (1400m) and a last-start success in the Singapore Guineas (1600m).

“He’s quite something else, isn’t he?” Brown said. “To come back from the mile to 1200 metres, it’s very hard to do, but he did a great job. This horse is just getting better and better.”

The countdown is already underway for Karaka 2021, which will again showcase the very best New Zealand thoroughbreds. Book 1 will run across three days from Sunday 24 January, followed immediately by Book 2 from Wednesday 27 through to Friday 29 January.