Spring matter on Williams’ mind

Victorian Craig Williams’ flying visit to Singapore for Sunday’s Group races at Kranji involves testing top two-year-old Dark Matter for Melbourne’s spring carnival.

Williams has six rides at Kranji after six at Caulfield tomorrow. In addition to the Steven Burridge-trained Dark Matter in the Group 3 Magic Millions Juvenile Championship (1200m), he will be on Risky Business for Burridge in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1800m).

Burridge told www.turfclub.com.sg that owner Tan Kai Chah was keen to send rising three-year-old Dark Matter (b c 2008, Stratum-Loving New (BRZ), by Choctaw Ridge (USA)) – a $140,000 buy at the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale – to Melbourne for the Group 1 $1 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 8.

Originally another Melbourne-based jockey, Glen Boss, was going to take the ride in the MM race, but when he left Singapore two weeks ago after a three-month stint, Williams was engaged.

“We wanted one of the top jockeys from Melbourne to ride the horse and to get the feel of him to see whether he would measure up down below,” Burridge said. “We have a race like the Caulfield Guineas in mind for him, but first of all we want to get his opinion.

“If he doesn’t think he will measure up then he can stay up here. There are still plenty of races that will suit him.”

Burridge said Tan had his appetite whetted for the Melbourne spring carnival after Jolie’s Shinju 2009 trip – the mare, who is in Australia and due to foal to Shamardal in September, had four runs in Melbourne in September and October, with her best effort being a 3.8-length third to Whobegotyou in the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

“Dr Tan owns horses all around the world and he certainly wants to be at the spring carnival again,” Burridge said. “We have made some tentative enquiries about quarantine, but there has been no planning from our point of view as yet. We will see how he runs on Sunday.”

After winning his first two starts, Dark Matter, ridden by top local jockey Saimee Jumaat, was a narrow and perhaps unlucky second to Mr Big in the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (1200m) at Kranji on May 20.

“Saimee did nothing wrong on the horse at all,” said Burridge. “We just need to know Craig’s opinion and whether he will measure up down in Melbourne.

“It’s cheaper to bring someone up like Craig rather than taking the horse down and finding out from there.”

Burridge said Dark Matter had a nice break after the Golden Horseshoe and had performed solidly in two jump-outs in preparation for Sunday’s race, when Mr Big (b g 2008, Elusive Quality (USA)-Basamaat (IRE), by Danehill (USA)), trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Danny Beasley, will be an opponent again.

Williams’ other rides on the 12-race card are Nefertiti (R1), Yuki’s Esperanza (R2), Mr Fangio (R4) and Teen Angel (R12). All races are on Australian pay TV and the TAB bets into the Singapore pool.

Meanwhile, champion 3YO Frankel’s outstanding win in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes (1600m) at Goodwood this week will see the colt move from sharing the ranking as the world’s best horse on a rating of 130 with Australia’s Black Caviar to sole top spot several points higher.

British Horseracing Authority handicapper Dominic Gardiner-Hill said: “I think he will go up to at least 133 and quite probably 134 or 135.”

Frankel (b c 2008, Galileo (IRE)-Kind (IRE), by Danehill (USA)) has won all eight starts, with four Group 1s included. He is trained by the recently knighted Henry Cecil, ridden by Tom Queally and owned by Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms.

Photo: Dark Matter at Kranji (Singapore Turf Club).