BEL ESPRIT ALMOST STRIKES

Eliza Park’s Asian rep, Lyle Plumb, gave us the heads up on Friday morning, saying that Diplomatic Strike – an outstanding sprinter by Bel Esprit trained in Singapore by Stephen Gray – would go very close in the eighth at Kranji that night.
Lyle, as usual, was spot on the money in that he couldn’t go any closer without actually winning, missing out to Powerful Tree by the thinnest piece of bark after having to travel from a wide barrier and carrying 7.5 kilos more than the eventual winner.
A winner in December, Diplomatic Strike (below) is one of six Bel Esprit winners in Singapore.