ONG TAKES IT EASY WITH CAVALRY

Champion trainer gets chronic bleeder back on track at trials

- Michael Lee

Kranji waited with bated breath in the wake of Cavalry’s smashing winning debut for trainer Michael Clements in July 2023.

Such was the buoyancy in the Thai-owned King Power camp, after such a rousing display, that the former Taupo Cup winner (when known as Tutukaka in New Zealand) backed up within a fortnight in the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1,800m).

He did not win but was brave in defeat when second to Golden Monkey.

Two years on, the bubble has clearly burst.

The buzz of anticipation of his early days has now turned into a waiting game for a racing career that had promised so much, but yet underdelivered.

New handler Jason Ong’s patience has often been tested in the short time he took over the Tavistock seven-year-old from Steven Burridge at the end of 2024.

In three starts for the two-time Singapore champion trainer in Malaysia, Cavalry has had two seconds and one third — on paper, decent performances.

But the well-documented respiratory issues that have long stunted Cavalry’s racing career were still lurking.