Bold Thruster on the ball

Bold Thruster, an unlucky third in the Group 3 New Year Cup when bombing the start, flew the gates with blinkers on at Kranji yesterday morning.

Under champion jockey Vlad Duric's guidance, the Michael Clements-trained classy galloper led on cruise control all the way tothe winning post.

He ran the 1,000m trial on the Polytrack in 1min 00.11sec, the quickest of the five trials.

Stablemate Countofmontecristo finished well for second under jockey Michael Rodd.

It was a good trial, which had other Group winners such as Pennywise, What's New and War Affair.

Bold Thruster is a top-flight galloper whose only nemesis is himself. If he jumps cleanly, he is always a likely winner.

TRIAL 1 (OFFICIAL RACE TRIAL/PRACTICE)

1 Silver Joy (N Zyrul)

2 Zygarde (D Moor)

3 Milimili (CC Wong) ORT

4 Brilliant Page (M Rodd) ORT

Margins and time: 41/4, 1/2, 1 (1min 03.61sec)

TRIAL 2 (TEST)

1 Churchill (V Duric) newcomer *

2 Elite Silverghost (M Lerner) stating stall *

3 Agente Fiscale (WH Kok) newcomer

4 Per Incrown, newcomer

5 Super Pins (CS Chin) newcomer

6 Flash The Flag (I Saifudin) 1,000m/blinkers

7 Smash (M Nizar) 1,000m/blinkers

0 Eastern Victory (R Maia) starting stall/did not finish

Margins and time: 11/4, 3/4, 1/2, 23/4, 71/2, 21/4 (1:01.43)

TRIAL 3 (TEST/PPRACTICE)

1 Bold Thruster (Duric) 1,000m/blinkers *

2 Countofmontecristo (Rodd) *

3 Pennywise (T Krisna)

4 Circuit Mission (Maia)

5 Lim's Craft (B Woodworth)

6 What's New (P Moloney)

7 Real Success (L Beuzelin)

8 War Affair (Lerner)

Margins and time: 1/2, 11/2, 11/2, 3/4, 1/2, shd, 1 (1:00.11)

TRIAL 4 (PRACTICE)

1 Surge (J Powell) *

2 Meryl (A Collett) *

3 Kimitonara (Kok) *

4 Super Power (Krisna)

5 Magnificent Gold (Rodd)

6 Hosayliao (Zyrul)

7 Siam Blue Vanda (Beuzelin)

8 Dazzle Gold (Moloney)

9 Destroyer Eclipse (Duric)

10 Tyson (Lerner)

Margins and time: 13/4, ns, 11/4, hd, 31/4, ns, 21/4, nk, 3/4 (1:01.33)

TRIAL 5 (PRACTICE)

1 Rocket Star (Duric) *

2 Vittoria Perfetta (Beuzelin)

3 Dreamer Legend (Zyrul)

4 Stardice (Moloney)

5 Cizen Boss (Lerner)

6 Clarton Treasure (Moor)

7 Wisaka (Saifudin)

8 Highgate (Collett)

9 Lim's Ray (Kok)

Margins and time: 3, 13/4, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 3/4, 21/2, 21/4 (1:01.10)