Duric honours word to return for Kranji cameo

Vlad Duric can finally get to keep his promise to return to Singapore for the big occasions.

The top Australian jockey’s name has popped back up on the June 30 Kranji meeting with a booking of five rides, including Bestseller in the day’s highlight, the $150,000 Group 2 Stewards’ Cup (1,600m).

When the four-time Singapore champion jockey returned to Australia in March, he made it clear it was not farewell, but goodbye.

With a jockey’s licence valid until Dec 31, he can fly in as he pleases.

Duric even tagged the Kranji Mile-Singapore Guineas double-feature day on May 18 as his next trip back, but he did not turn up.

Some wondered if the heavyweight jockey had changed his mind. But, despite the overnight success at his new Brisbane base, Kranji never left his to-do list.

It was primarily because of a clash in timing.

“Unfortunately, the Kranji Mile was on a Saturday,” said Duric. “I was kicking a few goals in Australia. It would’ve been in conflict with my busy Saturdays here.”

Conflicting schedules aside, Duric might not have been back so soon if not for a chance encounter.

“I bumped into Jun Almeida at the Gold Coast sales recently. He’s the racing manager to Sandy Javier, Bestseller’s owner,” said Duric.

“We’ve become good friends. I rode many winners for them.

“Bestseller had no luck at his first-up run. He jumped awkwardly, Bernardo (Pinheiro) allowed him to ease back and then pop off the fence.

“He had to get out of his position to roll forward, but it was a sprint home. He couldn’t pick them up; in hindsight, he should have stayed on the fence.

“The ride stemmed from there. I then had a discussion with (trainer) Ricardo (Le Grange).

“They booked me on Bestseller in the Derby. The Stewards’ Cup is the lead-up, and is on a Sunday.”

The Group 1 Singapore Derby (1,800m) is the third and last feature race for four-year-olds and will also fall on a Sunday on July 21.

However, any advance flight ticket reservations will not be so straightforward, even if two of the four remaining features (all Group 1s) fall on a Sunday – the Lion City Cup (1,200m) on July 28 and Raffles Cup (1,600m) on Aug 11.

“I’d like to win another feature race before the place is done and dusted (on Oct 5),” said Duric.

“After the Derby, I’m going to take a couple of weeks off, probably head up to Japan. So, I’ll miss the Lion City Cup.

“But I’d like to be back for the other weight-for-age features, even if the last two, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Sept 7) and the Singapore Gold Cup (Oct 5) are run on a Saturday.”

By hook or by crook, he is prepared to bend his “No Saturday” rule for the latter, an event bound to attract viewers from around the world for its saddening premise: The final chapter of a rich and illustrious 182-year-long history.

“Even if I can’t get a ride in the Gold Cup because of my weight, it’s still okay if I get half a dozen rides just to be part of that day,” said Duric.

“Singapore has been such a massive part of my life and career, and I just know I have to be there on that day. Come closer to the day, I’ll weigh my options up.”

Despite regarding the Lion City as a home away from home, Duric has no regrets in re-establishing himself in Australia.

Since joining the Brisbane ranks in April, he has already entered the Top 20 on the metropolitan log with 14 winners from 79 rides for a healthy strike rate of 17.7 per cent.

It is the third highest only to freakish talent James McDonald (42 per cent), currently cutting a swathe at the Brisbane Winter Carnival, and premiership leader James Orman (20 per cent).

The modest Duric still described the three-month journey thus far in his usual understated fashion.

“Just chipping away. I’ve been going along pretty good,” he said.

“The Winter Carnival will finish up with Caloundra next week. This Saturday, there’s the Tatt’s Tiara day before I fly to Singapore.”

Maybe as a good omen, one of his rides at that Eagle Farm meeting is for a trainer he rode many winners for at Kranji, Cliff Brown.

“Cliff and I had a good association in Singapore, especially with Inferno and Glenn Whittenbury,” he said.

“It was good winning in those colours on their horse Almairac at the Sunshine Coast three weeks ago. But the Tatt’s Cup (2,400m) is a big step-up in class.

“He can be quite aggressive. We’ll see how he handles it but he’s a promising stayer for the future.”

manyan@sph.com.sg