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The Argenitian bred Lucky Mission successfuly brought up the hat-trick on Sunday when leading from wire to wire in the Class 4 event over 1200m.
The three-year-old chestnut gelding stopped the clock in a winning time of 1min 13.59secs, finishing with a length-and-a-half to spare despite a valiant effort from Do Me A Favour (Troy See) with All My Way (Lisa Allpress) another three-quarter lengths behind in third.
Jockey Manoel Nunes had been aboard Lucky Mission for his previous two wins but with the Brazilian still in the midst of serving his two race day suspension, it was left to compatriot Vagner Leal to take the reins of the Michael Clements-trained galloper.
“Very happy with that,” grinned Leal, who had cut a disheartened figure at the Singapore Turf Club in recent weeks after failing to score a single winner last month but has now won three times from as many race meetings this month and has five victories overall.
“He jumped well and we got to the front quickly and from there I knew it was all over once we had the lead,” he said. “I could keep the horse relaxed without any pressure from the rest and save energy for the straight.”
“Vagner rode him well today and was able to get an easy lead,” said Clements. “I told him at the parade ring there’s not going to be a lot of pace in this race, so if he can get him into the lead he’ll be able to control the race from the front.”
It was textbook riding from Leal who positioned Lucky Mission at the fences for the first half of the trip and only ventured out once he was sure the path was clear down the home turn.
Such was the margin of his lead he could even afford to take his foot off the pedal slightly and still comfortably beat the fast-charging Do Me A Favour from out wide, whose brave challenge came too late.
With three victories and two placing from five starts, Lucky Mission, the son of Wild Event out of Doradilla Roma has now won close to $120,000 in stakes earnings for the Brookby Stable.
“He’s a workman-like type of horse who’s still a three-year-old but has always been honest and always does what is asked of him,” said Clements, who had saddled a winner when I Like scored in an earlier race on Sunday afternoon.
It was the Zimbabwean-born handler’s 10th victory of the season, maintaining his fine start to the campaign. He finished last year 2013 in 22nd position in the premiership with 25 wins and only reached double figures at the tail end of May.
“He’s been moving up the classes well and still manages to win,” he said. “I expected him to take the lead easily today as he’s a horse with some speed and his next race will probably be the Three-Year-Old Sprint at the end of the month.”
The $250,000 Group 3 race over 1200m is on March 30 and is the first leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.
Clements ended the day on a high when he celebrated second three-timer of the season with victory in the final race as Pint Sized Prince (Vagner Leal) took out the $55,000 Class 4 race (1100m) when the five-year-old Australian-bred gelding edged out Eclair Sensation (Corey Brown) by a neck.
