MAKIN, ALWAYS MEANT TO BE A MILER

Once a query over 1600m, Burridge’s 4YO can turn up in the Group 2 Stewards’ Cup

There was a time when even fivetime Singapore champion jockey Manoel Nunes had his misgivings about Makin getting the mile.

The Brazilian ace, who seldom gets his flair for a good horse wrong, even pulled the wrong rein once.

Mansoor Gandhi of Al-Arabiya Stable twisted his No. 1 jockey's arm at Makin's first 1,600m test in a Class 3 event on March 9, but Nunes had to politely decline.

He had already committed to Black Storm, and besides, he thought the Written Tycoon fouryear-old was suspect at the trip.

Makin, with Ryan Curatolo up, beat Black Storm, and Nunes has not jumped off again since.

It included one more win over the mile - as if to prove the first victory was no fluke as well as a fast-finishing second to Lim's Saltoro in the Group 3 Silver Bowl (1,400m) on June 9.

On the eve of the $150,000 Group 2 Stewards Cup (1,600m) on June 30, the mindset has now shifted to "he is looking for the extra 200m".

Trainer Steven Burridge said hindsight was a wonderful thing, but in their defence, the team had every reason to exercise caution during his pre-mile days.