Champion jockey Vlad Duric navigated a stop-and-start affair in the S$60,000 Class 4 Premier race over 1400m to get a laudable win on Triple Trio at the Singapore Turf Club on Friday night.
In the end, Duric threw caution to the wind and let the $31 shot rip forward on the outskirts of the 11-horse field.
After a short tussle the strength of Duric in a tight finish came to the rescue again and the Singapore champion hoop was a sight to behold as he extracted the last drops of petrol left in Triple Trio’s willing tiny frame.
The hungry chasing pack was closing in, but Triple Trio scrambled to the line first by a neck in a winning time of 1min 23.25secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
Winning trainer Michael Clements could not quite ascertain the nature of the early scrimmage, but was glad the budding talent in his yard survived it and won.
“He hit a lot of trouble in the early part. He was supposed to sit midfield with cover, but he jumped pretty well and showed more speed than expected,” said the Zimbabwean-born handler.
“I’m not quite sure what happened. I think he was caught wide and as there was no pace upfront, he had to push forward.
“From a wide position and under the circumstances, Vlad did very well. They faced a lot of difficulties in the race, but they got the job done.
“He showed what he was capable of doing tonight, thanks also to a good ride from Vlad. This horse has a bright future here.”
Duric was actually standing in for Triple Trio’s regular partner, the suspended Glen Boss, but he certainly knew which buttons to push in clinching that second accolade for the New Zealand-bred gelding.
“We were supposed to run midfield, but we were caught four wide in a bunched-up field,” said Duric.
“Then they crawled again, and I had to go forward, but I was three deep. I also had Oli (Placais) on my back at the 900m, and I had to make sure I was clear of him.
“He strode away and showed great determination in the straight. He should win again.”
With that second win from three starts, Triple Trio has already seen his prizemoney snowball to around S$80,000 for the Sharon Stable. -STC