Jockey Manoel Nunes made it winning return aboard handy sprinter Lucky Mission as the pair combined to smart effect once again with a comfortable victory in the $80,000 Progress race over 1200m on Sunday.
The Brazilian rider had partnered the Argentinian-bred gelding for his first four starts, opening with two place finishes before saluting twice in January.
Nunes’ compatriot Vagner Leal then take over the hot seat for the next three outings but following Leal’s sudden decision to pack up his bags and return home last month, Nunes was reunited with his chestnut mount.
Picking up where they left off, the in-tandem duo were in irresistible form as they easily defeated up-and-coming galloper Accomplished (John Sundradas) by a length and a quarter with Lively Dragon (Alan Munro) the same margin away in third. Valbuena (Corey Brown), a Group 2 winner back home in New Zealand and making his first start in 476 days, was a further length away in fourth.
“I know the horse well and I was happy to be back on him,” said Nunes, who continues to lead the premiership after notching his 58th winner of the season. “I discussed it with (trainer) Michael (Clements) before the race and he said since it’s a small field wherever he jumps let him run from there.
“He’s a nice horse and if he stays in this condition he’ll win a few more races for sure.”
Despite the small field of just five runners following the scratching of Turangawaewae, the public shared his confidence in Lucky Mission who was well supported as the short-priced favourite at $11.
As expected, noted frontrunner Lively Dragon was away the quickest and tore into the lead early on as the other horses fell into line behind the Leticia Dragon-trained speedball.
But the lead soon evaporated down the straight as Nunes released the handbrakes on Lucky Mission who kicked clear and passed Lively Dragon with consummate ease.
Even a slight collision with Accomplished, who kept drifting wide over the final two furlongs, did not prove costly. The winning time on the Short Course was 1min 10.38secs.
“He travelled very nicely and we followed the right horse,” said Nunes. “The horse on my inside did bump into me a bit but it made no difference.”
After Lucky Mission’s two losses to champion three-year-old War Affair in the 3YO Sprint (1200m) and 3YO Classic (1400m), the win was a much-needed fillip, said his Zimbabwean-born conditioner Clements.
What was particularly crucial however, was returning to Lucky Mission’s favoured trip over 1200m.
“He did really well today,” he said. “He’s had a couple of hard races. To finish five lengths behind War Affair in the first leg, I thought that was a very good effort by him.
“The 1400m was perhaps too tough for him. We had to freshen him up and he’s come back good and looked well in the lead up to this race.
“He won three-in-a-row at the start of this year and he’s got a bit of ability this horse.
“He’s a 1200m horse and I’ll keep him over this distance from now on. He’ll probably move up to Class 3 races from here.”
A three-year-old by Wild Event out of Doradilla Roma, Lucky Mission has won half of his eight starts and has earned around $165,000 in prizemoney for the Brookby Stable.
Nunes later made it a winning double for the day when he captured the $38,000 Kranji Stakes D race over 2000m astride the Mark Walker-trained Prince Mag.
