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Trainer Steven Burridge saddled a nice double with Xzuberance and Justice World at Kranji on Sunday.
Race-favourite ($13) Xzuberance (Corey Brown) opened the proceedings in the first event on the 11-race programme, the $35,000 Class 5 race over 1400m, giving the Premier Racing Stable their first cause for celebration with that three-year-old son of Henrythenavigator, while Justice World (Mario Esposito) came from last with a withering run in the $60,000 Class 4 Division 3 race over 1400m to finish over the top of his rivals at the last hop.
The brace brings Burridge’s tally to 22 wins for the season and helps him overtake Patrick Shaw by one spot to sit in ninth place on the trainer’s premiership.
Of the two victories, it was clearly Justice World’s ($45) that was the more spectacular. Bringing up the rear from the start, the Iffraaj five-year-old began his run from the 800m before motoring home on the outside under the energetic Italian jockey to beat Brahms And Liszt (Shafiq Rizuan) by half-a-length with Twodollarmuppet (Shafiq Hazman) third another 1 ½ lengths away.
The winning time was 1min 22.93secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.
Burridge said neither wins came as a surprise, though it was a little harder to be so confident about Justice World, who was first-up from a 79-day break.
“He (Justice World) trialled well three weeks ago and he had another jumpout the other day and he went all right,” said Burridge.
“He had a few promising runs for us before his let-up and I thought he would run well. It was a decent race and I thought whatever he does first-up, he would improve on it.
“I’m glad he won and has given another win to the Lucky Stable. The boss (racing manager Richard See) is not in today, but I’m sure he’ll be happy with this.”
Esposito, who has now clocked four winners at Kranji, said he was never worried Justice World was so far behind in the initial stages.
“There was a bit of problem at the start. He wanted to go down inside his gate, but luckily he jumped okay,” said Esposito.
“He was galloping relaxed at the back, he never pulled. He does have the speed, but it was the others who were going faster.
“I knew he had a good turn of foot and when I asked him to go in the last two furlongs, he was very fast.”
Justice World has now recorded two wins and four placings from 10 starts for stakes earnings that have just about reached the $100,000 mark for the Lucky Stable.