Leading Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver has been booked to ride nomadic galloper Mull Of Killough in the 2014 Singapore Airlines International Cupat Kranji on Sunday.
Damien Oliver will ride Mull Of Killough and Medicean Man at the Singapore International Cup Meeting this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Oliver will be reuniting with Mull Of Killough for the first time since he steered the veteran gelding to a fourth place finish in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 9 last year and will be riding in the Singapore Airlines International Cup for the second time in his career after finishing last on Itmaybeyou in the 2008 edition of the race.
Mull Of Killough finished fifth behind Military Attack in last year’s Singapore Airlines International Cup and acquainted himself with the Australian racing public with three race starts during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
The Mull Of Kintyre gelding made his Australian racing debut in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 and finished 11th after pulling hard in the early stages of the race and finished third behind Salon Soldier and Midsummer Sun in the Listed Visit Victoria Plate (1800m) at Flemington on November 5.
Four days later, Mull Of Killough returned to the races in the Emirates Stakes and hit the front with 350 metres left to run before battling home bravely to finish fourth behind Boban, Smokin’ Joey and Speediness.
Mull Of Killough was given a lengthy stint in the spelling paddock before heading to Dubai for the Group 2 Godolphin Mile on March 29, where he finished 12th behind Variety Club, but he returned to winning form with a strong victory in the Group 3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes (1810m) at Newmarket on April 17.
The eight-year-old has become a seasoned international traveler since he joined the stable of Jane Chapple-Hyam in 2012 and has contested races in Great Britain, Singapore, the United States Of America, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Oliver is yet to record a win from ten rides in Singapore, including three at Group 1 level, but will have two opportunities to break his drought at Kranji on Sunday night after he was booked to ride Medicean Man in the Group 1 Krisflyer International Sprint (1200m).
Medicean Man is yet to record a victory at Group 1 level, but has been very competitive in some of the most prestigious sprinting races on the Australian racing calendar; finishing fourth in the 2012 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and fourth in the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai during the World Cup meeting.
