Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Vlad Duric will chase his first Group 1 since returning from Singapore on Saturday, aboard Anthony Freedman three-year-old Crucial in Morphettville's $400,000 Australasian Oaks.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Duric has landed 15 wins in less than two months since coming back to Australia, oozing all of the class that elevated him to the top echelon of Singapore jockeys in an almost three-year stint in south-east Asia.
His reward is four black-type rides for Freedman in Adelaide this weekend, and a ticket to see the world's best sprinter, Black Caviar, headline one of the city's biggest ever race days.
“I'm sure I'll walk out to the mounting yard and have a look at her walk around,” Duric said.
“Apparently it's sold out over there so it should be a good day of racing.
“I've got some nice rides in Adelaide for Anthony this weekend so I'm hoping something comes out of those as well.
“It's my biggest day coming up since I've been back.
“I'm on Cornell and Crucial who both won stakes races over there a couple of weeks back.
“First Command, who I ran second on in the sprint over there [last start]. He's over there in another sprint race on Saturday which he should be competitive in.
“My other ride is Zubbaya who I rode last Saturday who needed the race. She's really well suited in the mares' race over there.
“They're four really nice rides so I'm hoping I can ride well and get the job done for him.”
Freedman and Peter Snowden have been Duric's biggest supporters since he's returned to Victoria.
The 34-year-old has forged a strong partnership with both trainers and hoped it would lead to a presence at Queensland's winter carnival.
“I'd like to think it's set in stone, I'm there riding trackwork and things are going well and I've got a good relationship with both guys,” Duric said.
“There's nothing on paper but I've never ever in my life had anything on paper. I'd like to think it's a pretty solid partnership.
“You don't expect to kick off that well after being away for so long but it has been really nice.
“The support is a big thing. I probably put it down to the opportunities - you've got to make the most of them.
“I've definitely improved as a rider, I guess I've got a little bit more confidence and a bit more polish.
“Brisbane's something that I'm hoping will come off, maybe spend three weeks or a month up there.
“Then I'll come home and have a short break and then really really knuckle down towards spring. That's the most exciting time of the year and I really want to try to get some momentum going into spring and hopefully win another big one.”
