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Champion jockey Manoel Nunes reiterated his gratitude towards trainer Mark Walker after he piloted Eatons Gold to victory in the $60,000 Stepitup 2013 Stakes, an Open Benchmark 67 race over 1100m on Sunday.

Like all expatriate jockeys at Kranji, the Brazilian jockey rides freelance but it is no secret that one of the key factors to his two titles in 2014 and 2015, especially the latter, was his close association with the 2015 champion trainer.

Eatons Gold is a good case in point. Nunes jumped off at the Jet Spur seven-year-old’s second-last start as he was riding another horse (Nova Strike) and he could not make it at his last-start win as he was suspended, and Eatons Gold scored with three-kilo claimer Ng Choon Kiat.

Walker saddled two other stablemates in Sunday’s race, Our Touche and Dreamcatcher, but it was Nunes who got the nod for his first choice, Eatons Gold, and he reciprocated the loyalty with a 10-out-of-10 ride.

The Fortuna NZ Racing Stable-owned gelding enjoyed a ground-saving run on the rails in second spot behind race-leader Sun Miracle (Salim Yusoff) before putting the race away with a decent turn of foot inside the last 300m.

Rich Fortune (Shafiq Rizuan) tried to gather him in but ducked in at a crucial moment of the race around the 250m mark, by which time the bird had already flown. He did stretch out manfully once he emerged from the pack but had half-a-length between him and the winner at the business-end.

Eatons Gold clocked 1min 0.13sec for the 1000m on the Polytrack and returned a dividend of $19 for the win. Our Touche (Oscar Chavez) made ground late to complete the tierce.

“I really appreciate what Mark does for me. He gives me first pick even though I did not ride this horse at his last two runs,” said Nunes.

“This horse is flying and has been showing good form over 1000m. I was only worried about the weight, but from his good barrier, I just settled him along the rails and he got the job done.”

Placing horses in the right races may sound like a simplified way of putting a rationale to winning races, but Walker often swears by it.

“It was the right race for him on paper. The horse has maintained his form after his last win and there was only one horse (Rich Fortune) to beat,” said Walker.

“Manoel gave him a good run and he had every chance. He’s been a great moneyspinner for us and the owner John Galvin from Fortuna New Zealand Racing Stable.”

With a handy record that now reads “triple seven” ie seven wins, seven seconds and seven thirds from 49 starts, Eatons Gold has now brought his stakes earnings past the $400,000 mark for connections.