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Trainer Steven Burridge has wasted no time in booking veteran Malaysian jockey Azhar Ismail for the ride on his likely Emirates Singapore Derby runner Verglatica.
The Irish-bred by Verglas motored home late in the Class 4 race over 1800m on Polytrack, but failed to peg back War Time who had pinched the race when he slipped away at the top of the straight under jockey Nooresh Juglall.
Alan Munro was the hoop in the saddle on Sunday, but Burridge said the Englishman would not be available in the $1.15 Group 1 race over 2000m on July 13, and neither was Corey Brown, who rode Verglatica at his last win two starts back.
“He ran super on Sunday. It was the perfect lead-up to the Derby,” said Burridge.
“I’ve already booked Azhar for the ride. Nobody wanted the ride, Corey Brown knocked it back and Munro has a ride already.
“I discussed with the owners (Equus Racing Stable) and we decided to get Azhar early. We’ve had a bit of success in the past and let’s hope it will carry on.”
Besides a successful partnership that goes back to the days Burridge was an assistant-trainer in Malaysia, seven-time Malaysian champion jockey Azhar, 50, has often crossed the Causeway to team up with Burridge in recent years, with the most notable wins being the Group 1 Patron’s Bowl with Speed Baby in 2011 and the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe with Pitstop in 2012.
At least, Burridge can do without the headache of chasing other jockeys for a Derby ride. The Australian handler had at one stage as many as four four-year-olds in the mix, but Verglatica, a three-time winner (all over 1700m) was the last horse standing.
In the same race that earned Verglatica a ticket, Burridge also saddled Dancing Tsuru, but the impressive previous all-the-way winner knocked up after leading to beat one home. Long held by connections as a Derby hope, Polytrack lover Goliath ruled himself out with below-par runs over turf one after another, the latest nail in the coffin being his unplaced run in the Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m last Friday while Invictus, who is entered in the Group 3 Yew Tee Classic Stakes (1800m) as is Dancing Tsuru, is too lowly-rated.
“Dancing Tsuru was the other chance, but he was disappointing. He had to win or run a placing to make the cut,” said Burridge. “He’s a green bugger, but he pulled up good, though, and I’ve backed him up this Friday.
“Goliath was already out of the Derby. He’s no good on grass and Invictus needs too many points.”
In 10 years of training at Kranji, Burridge has yet to saddle a Singapore Derby winner, with his closest result being Wild Geese’s second to Better Life in the third and final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge last year.