Singapore Winner Sparkles

Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker, Singapore's leading trainer in 2015 - continues on his winning way on Sunday at Kranji - as the Singapore Turf Club reports:

Favourite Best Jade defied a wide gate to come away with an impressive win in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1100m on Sunday.

Handy throughout but three wide, the Showcasing three-year-old was off and gone once he put in the big bounds upon straightening, though his lack of racing experience was clearly evident halfway up the straight.

He started to loaf a bit once he found himself in the lead, even looking vulnerable inside the last 100m when debutant Star Genius (Salim Yusoff) leapt out of the pack with a late assault, but to the favourite backers' relief, the winning post arrived in time. Best Jade held him off by a neck with Super Brilliant (John Powell) third another 1 ¼ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 6.17secs.

Race-favourite Best Jade (Manoel Nunes) makes no mistake on Sunday.

Raced by a first-time owner in Singapore, the Best Jade Stable, Best Jade ($14) handed reigning champion trainer Mark Walker his third win this term, but his first with him on hand at Kranji.

“It's good to be back with a winner,” said the New Zealander who just returned from a break back home, followed by the Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast.

“This horse had to tough it out from the wide draw and had to sit through with no cover. But he toughed it out really well to the line.

“He's not a big horse, but he is very tough and he showed that in his trials. He's a horse we bought from the trials back home and he is raced by a new owner. Hopefully, they race more horses in the future.”

Nunes was delighted he was finally able to revisit the winner's circle after his last 22 rides since his only 2016 winner, Kam's Comet on January 1, all failed thus far.

“He's a lovely horse with a good temperament, but he is still a baby and is very green. I also think he will need more ground,” said Nunes of Best Jade, whom he had tagged as one of his best chances this weekend.

“He's done a good job as he had to do a bit of work to cross. He's a horse who does not have enough speed to be up there and being drawn wide probably worked in his favour.

“At his debut, I couldn't ride him as he was suspended but he was stuck on the fence.  Actually, the plan was not to race him so soon, but Mark wanted to give his horses a run, just to given them that fitness edge early in the season.”