Headley Grange should frank Pools form

There is a good chance that the inaugural Singapore Pools Handicap (1,300m) at Royal Randwick on June 7 may well have set the stage for a Listed winner at the same track two weeks later.

- Michael Lee

Headley Grange's winning burst in the Benchmark 94 race named after the Singapore gaming company was so impressive that new-found fans have been waiting for his next outing with bated breath.

Trainer Joseph Pride has picked the A$200,000 (S$167,000) Listed Civic Stakes (1,400m) on June 21 as the race to keep the seven-time winner by Exosphere on the up.

On paper, the four-year-old's task looks stiffer up against better-rated customers like Iknowastar (105) and Willaidow (103), but his hike of only five points from 88 to 93 after such an explosive turn of foot in the Singapore Pools race gives him a strong fighting chance to go back-to-back.

On handicap, he will have only 54kg on his back, in receipt of six kilos from the topweight Iknowastar on 60kg.