Stable newcomer Superb Success landed a first-up win for trainer Bruce Marsh when he took out the $75,000 Open Benchmark 74 Stakes on Friday night.
Providing Brazilian jockey Vagner Leal with a winning double, Superb Success scored a half-length victory from BM Win (Alan Munro) with First Tothelign (John Powell) a neck away third.
Superb Success joined Marsh’s stable after winning at his last start on October 13 in Class 4 grade, a win that provided champion jockey Joao Moreira with his last victory in Singapore before he departed for Hong Kong.
On Friday night fellow Brazilian Vagner Leal had the ride but a conversation by his interpreter Lopez with Moreira provided an insight into the gelding’s behavior as Moreira had been successful aboard the gelding at his last two outings.
The race was run at a solid tempo with BM Win and Peace No War (Corey Brown) sharing the lead from Eatons Gold (Shafiq Rizuan) and Speed Demon (Oscar Chavez).
Little had changed with the speed battle up front to the home turn before BM Win kicked clear with 300m to run.
Eatons Gold issued a challenge before Leal brought Superb Success with a well-timed run down the outside to score an impressive win.
“He came to me pretty much straight after his last win,” said Marsh of Superb Success. “I would say he’s been with me six or seven weeks.
“I didn’t really know the horse when he came to me, but as soon as we started to run him along an but I could see that he is a nice horse.
“We got Lopez to speak to Moreira in Hong Kong this morning about the horse as he had ridden him before going to Hong Kong. It was very beneficial as he could tell Vagner all about the horse.
“He’s done a good job to win tonight and hopefully he can keep on with that winning form.”
A six-year-old Australian-bred by Johannesburg from Bella Corona, Superb Success has raced on 48 occasions, registering nine win and 11 minor placings and just shy of $450,000 in prizemoney for owner Law Teck Hin.