3 minute read
Sunday’s penultimate race saw a massive upset in the shape of Constant Justice bouncing back to his best form to lower the colours of favourite Zac Kasa close home.
A former five-time winner, the Magnus six-year-old has been finishing at the wrong end of the field since his last all-the-way win in a 1000m race at Kranji Stakes B level back in January.
But trainer Mohd Yusof saw in his last-start run on September 2 when eighth in a Kranji Stakes B race over 1000m, but only just a little over two-and-a-half lengths off the winner Saraab a glimmer of hope the Lucky Stable-owned sprinter might be on the way back.
Top jockey Glen Boss, who partnered him for the first time then, did also share his silent hope with Yusof, especially after he jumped aboard a few more times in trackwork.
“Boss has been riding him in work and told me the horse had improved. He even told me he would run a better race today,” said Yusof.
“If you look at his last start, he didn’t finish all that far behind. He’s had a few problems but was coming back to himself.
“It’s not such a big surprise he won today.”
Still, Constant Justice was widely neglected at $167 in Sunday’s $100,000 Kranji Stakes B Division 2 race over 1100m. Up against younger upstarts like Zac Kasa (Michael Rodd), Yulong Xiongyin (Vlad Duric) and Mokastar (Nooresh Juglall), he looked to have his job cut out, but in the end, he stamped his authority over those rivals rather convincingly with a soft win.
Taking a perfect trail behind leader Yulong Xiongyin, Constant Justice stayed put on the rails when favourite Zac Kasa whipped around to collar Yulong Xiongyin and set sail for home in the straight.
Cliff Brown’s grey ($11) looked to have the race in his keeping as he strode to a decisive break, but once Boss eased Constant Justice into the open, the increasing likelihood the hotpot would be rolled became very real.
Scrubbed up for one last dash, the big bobber raced past Zac Kasa rather comfortably, with Boss even having the luxury of easing him down at the line, to finish one length clear of Zac Kasa.
Augustano (Alysha Collett) ran on late to take third spot another neck away. The winning time was 1min 5.38secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.
“I actually tipped him to run well today. At his last start, his coat wasn’t right and he was well above his weight,” said Boss.
“But I’ve been working him since, and he’s really thrived. His coat has come on.
“He had a big weight and he was against some boom horses, but they have not been consistent, and it was a good tough result in the end.”
Constant Justice was recording his sixth win in 22 starts. With his seven placings, his stakes earnings have now edged closer to the $380,000 mark for the Lucky Stable.
