Singapore’s pin-up sprinter Rocket Man made a successful racing comeback by taking Sunday’s $200,000 Group 3 Woodlands Handicap (1200m) in his customary devastating fashion, smashing the course record for good measure.

The Viscount five-year-old, who had not been sighted since his gallant second to Green Birdie in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint on May 16, had been working a treat since trainer Patrick Shaw had brought him back to work in his lead-up towards a tilt at the Grade 1 Sprinters Stakes in Japan on October 3.

After three successful barrier trials, Rocket Man was deemed ready to face the starter again in the inaugural Group 3 event, incidentally bidding for his 10th win from 13 starts for owner Fred Crabbia.

The win could not have been more resounding. Even by giving away around nine kilos to all his seven rivals by shouldering the top impost of 59kg it could not stop the people’s champ from galvanising the Kranji crowd as he streaked away to a crushing 5 ½ length win, shaving off 0.89 second from Tuxedo Moon’s record of 1 min 10.63secs.

Incidentally, the first 1000m was also run at such breakneck speed that its official course record of 58.07 seconds was also broken as they clocked a sizzling 57.8 seconds.

Breaking away nicely from his outside gate (eight), Rocket Man could not take up the running early as Break Free (Joao Moreira) kicked up on the inside to make a fist of the fight for the lead, locking horns with Bionic Boy (Ronnie Stewart). Coetzee eased Rocket Man out of the speed battle by taking a back seat three wide, travelling well within himself.

Swinging for home, Rocket Man quickly gained the ascendancy as the South African ace rider slipped some rein - and the race was all over bar the shouting as he cleared out for a thumping win. Bionic Boy plugged on nicely for second while Ntini (Mark Gallagher) ran on for second another 2 ¾ lengths away.

“I’m absolutely speechless. There’s nothing more I can say about this horse, his runs speak for themselves,” said trainer Patrick Shaw.

“He hasn’t raced for nearly four months. To score first-up with 59kg and break the record is just an outstanding feat.

“We’ve got him spot-on for Japan now. He’s booked to fly out on September 17th.

“As far as I’m concerned we’ve brought him up to the best we could possibly have. Felix will be going there on the 24th September as the quarantine there won’t allow him to come near him until a week before the race.”

Coetzee, who will forever be remembered as Hong Kong sprint kingpin Silent Witness’s partner, wore a wide grin that said it all at the winner’s circle.

“He’s got such a terrific cruising speed I wasn’t concerned at all when I was caught wide early,” said Coetzee, who was at his third Kranji win, but his first for fellow countryman Shaw.

“I knew that they would have to go really quickly to keep up with him, and at that rate they would eventually drop away.

“He just killed them at the home turn. When I asked him in the home stretch, he picked up very well and just gave a very powerful kick to score going away.”

Coetzee said that riding Rocket Man in trackwork had already given him a taste of things to come.

“I’ve never ridden him before except for the two times I rode him in trackwork, but he had given me such a confident feel then," he said.

“I have to thank both Robbie Fradd (former regular partner) and Barend Vorster (trackwork partner of late) for giving me useful pointers on him, especially Robbie who knows him so well.

“He told me about all his habits and how best to ride him. I’m very grateful to both of them.

“I’m so looking forward to the opportunity to ride him in Japan. Here I have to say thank you to Pat and Fred for the privilege they have given me for riding this very special horse.”

Coetzee would not be on unfamiliar territory in the Land of the Rising Sun as he had ridden Silent Witness to a win in the Sprinters Stakes in 2005.

“I have no doubt he will be very competitive there. It would not be fair to compare him with Silent Witness as they’re both champions with their own different qualities,” he said.

Crabbia, who has specially flown in from his native South Africa to watch his champion at his racing comeback, was thrilled to bits by the exhibition gallop.

“My only concern before the race was the 9kg difference between him and the other horses. In human terms, even a sprinter like Usain Bolt would feel the pinch if he had to carry 1kg more than his rivals,” said Crabbia.

“It was a huge risk, but he did with such ease that I’m absolutely flabbergasted.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic performance and all credit should go to Pat for having kept him in such terrific form.

“Japan here we come! I’ve already booked my ticket and I would not miss it for anything in the world.”

Rocket Man, whose stakes earnings shot past the $2 million mark courtesy of his second in the KrisFlyer, has now brought that figure to around $2.14 million.

The beaten brigade could not quite muster an answer before such might, but Bionic Boy’s jockey did feel confident after coming out of the speed battle and taking the sit behind Break Free and Rocket Man.

“We travelled quite well and I thought for a moment of the turn we may have been a chance,” said Stewart.

“My horse tried his heart out but at the end of the day we were chasing something special.”