The leading trainer and jockey combined for an early double on Sunday, cementing further the increasingly distinct impression they are home and hosed in their respective premierships.
Sacred Galaxy and Show Far Show Good saluted for the Mark Walker-Vlad Duric pairing in Races 1 and 3, widening further their already massive leads.
The double has now taken Walker to 76 winners, 24 clear of Shane Baertschiger while Duric’s cushion on reigning champion jockey Manoel Nunes has now increased to 19 winners (71 versus 52) with a high possibility more winners could come their way with six races still to be set down for decision (they later added one apiece, Duric on Pioneer Step and Walker on Moment Of Justice).
With just over two months left in the season, both leads look unassailable. Duric is chasing his first title while Walker, the 2015 Singapore champion trainer, would be at his second crowning.
Both men would rather focus on the task at hand, though - ride the next winner instead of falling into any title talks.
“Every win counts, they all add up,” said Walker.
“Show Far Show Good is one good example. He is racing well and he continues to do so.
“Today, he had a soft lead, and at the top of the straight, Vlad still had plenty of horse under him. I knew it would be hard for the rest to pull him back.”
Taking full advantage of his barrier No 1, Show Far So Good shot straight to the lead from Oliver (Olivier Placais), and was always travelling on the bridle.
Swinging for home, Show Far So Good ($43), a five-year-old son of Showcasing, had the race shot to pieces once he was let loose by Duric inside the last 400m. Lim's Ripple (Daniel Moor) ran on late to grab second place another three lengths away, half-a-length ahead of O’Reilly Bay (Nooresh Juglall). The winning time was 1min 36.67secs for the mile on the Short Course.
While Duric had an armchair ride aboard Show Far So Good, the Victorian rider had to pull out all the stops to drive Sacred Galaxy ($25) to a nose victory from a very combative Astrojet (Glen Boss) in the opening event, the $38,000 Debt Collector 2016 Stakes, a Kranji Stakes D Division 3 race over 1400m.
The Flying Spur five-year-old was at his maiden win at his fourth start for the Raffles Racing Stable. He ran the 1400m on the Long Course in 1min 23.97secs.
