Samlalsingh, Leong Poi coming with Quatro Tempo

WATCH out for Quatro Tempo next. After Mucho Tempo galloped on resolutely to snatch the 73rd renewal of the Royal Oak Derby at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Friday, Republic Day, joint owner Merlin Samlalsingh boasted “We will win again.” But yesterday, in a telephone chat with the other half of the two-man syndicate Rupert Leong Poi, he said it is very early yet. He said: “We have a full brother of Mucho Tempo with trainer Glenn Mendez, named Quatro Tempo. “He has been showing signs of ability, but he has not run as yet, but those who has ridden him thinks he is of classic material.” Leong Poi said they are aiming to give Quatro Tempo his debut run at the end of next month. Both Samlalsingh and Leong Poi teamed up to produce triple crown winner Top Of The Class last year, and the colt went on to win the Champion Stakes and a $1 million bonus from Colonial Life Insurance Company.

About Mucho Tempo on Friday, Leong Poi said, having looked at the race on television, he thought Ricky Jadoo rode an excellent race. He said: “The ride was a fantastic ride.” Leong Poi said many people doubted Mucho Tempo after he ran so badly last time out. “But we assessed him and realised he was over-sweating and that took toll on him. “We placed him in an air-conditioned stall and he began to thrive, so for the Derby he was in much better condition...physically harder, and he put on weight. ‘We knew he would have run a good race, but the talk was French Academy could not be beaten.” Meanwhile, John O’Brien, trainer of the beaten overwhelming favourite French Academy said, his charge lost the race before the start. He pointed out that the filly was very fractious to saddle and behaved very erratic and used up herself at the starting stalls leading to the fact she had nothing left in the end.  “She just walked home.” Just when French Academy got her head in front of Jamaican invader Latonia and was expected to go on to win, she just folded to finish a disappointing seventh.