NEXT UP

In the lead-up to the speed scamper, the typically conservative Singaporean handler had voiced out his concerns his noted speedster might struggle over the 0 added onto his debut winning distance of 1000m.

Granted his Australian record of two 4 1⁄2 f wins (when known as Covert Ops) tends to back Koh but the I Am Invincible four-year-old simply defied those stats with a win which was, if anything, even more dynamic.

Bustled up from his barrier No 2 by first-time partner Oscar Chavez, the $12 second-favourite swiftly found the fence, but soon, had to absorb unrelenting pressure coming from even-money favourite Tuesday (Shafrizal Saleh) and Ararat (Marc Lerner) for most of the backstraight, while Super Invincible (Jerlyn Seow Poh Hui) was poised right behind the sizzling speed, ready to pounce.

At the top of the straight, the field fanned out with Sun Ops still in command, but as he rolled out looking a touch wobbly, many thought he might be left a sitting duck given they didn't loaf around from the get-go.

At that point, Koh must have thought the pessimistic scenario he had painted would go to script - the weary-legged speedball would fall into a heap inside the last 0, if not before.

It's a good thing horses don't read the press – or their trainer's minds! The moment Chavez clicked Sun Ops up for another gear, he instead responded with an explosive burst, as if the turbo engine had only just been powered on.

Sun Ops  stopped the clock at 1min 4.21secs, 0.54 second outside the course record by Tuesday, who bravely tried to stay in his slipstream, but was in the end left licking his wounds, one and three-quarter lengths away in second place. Cheval Rapide (Wong Chin Chuen) ran third another length away.

"I guess I was a bit too cautious with Sun Ops, but I've learned in this game that it's better to be a realist," said Koh, who has been training in Singapore for 17 years after honing his craft in the US for six years.

"We knew Tuesday had the speed to keep up with him, but my horse took the pressure very well. He didn't fade away, if anything, he kept going away."

Though the 5 1⁄2 f win adds a string to Sun Ops' bow, Koh is adamant short sprints are more his caper at this stage of his budding career, even if he is an atypical sprinter.

"He's only a small horse, not really built like a sprinter. He's not all muscle, more light-framed but solid enough," he said.

"Today's win gives us more room to move him around, maybe even up to 6 f, but if he's got no room, meaning to say there are no such races on the programme, we will stick to what I think he's still best at – 5 f to 1100m.

"Mr Cheng (Ting Kong of Sun Bloodstock Stable) was very happy with the win. I think Sun Ops is one of the best horses he's sent me.

"I'm very grateful for his support, not just for Sun Ops but for all the other horses he has given me to train."

Chavez was incidentally riding his first winner since returning last week from a thumb injury that sidelined him for two months.

"It's good to be a back a winner. I've had a second (Stenmark) and a fourth (Host The Nation), but I had the highest expectation with this one for today," said the delighted rider who has now hit his fourth winner for the season.

"This is a very good horse. Big thanks to Desmond for the ride.

"He won impressively. I galloped this horse once and he galloped fantastic.

"I told Des that the only way this horse would get beaten today is if he doesn't break well from the gates."

Luckily, Sun Ops flew the lids on his way to a sterling win that takes him to just above $64,000 in stakes earnings at Kranji, only around $30,000 shy of the stakes he made in Australia from his two wins and three placings under trainer Gerald Ryan.