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Jockey Olivier Placais likened his four weeks without visiting the winner’s circle as a “desert crossing” on Sunday.
It would also feel like deja-vu for the Frenchman as the horse who turned thirst-quencher again was Super Fortune, the same horse who handed him his first win after he returned from a three-month suspension for not riding to the Stewards’ satisfaction back in July.
The barren run was not as long this time after Super Fortune came up trumps in the Lucky Last, the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1200m, but Placais has cetainly taken to the Mossman four-year-old as a very special horse.
Starved of victory since Hee’s A Maverick on September 10, Placais had a good hunch he could be ending his run of outs when Super Fortune ($17) was seen cantering alongside Skywalk (Manoel Nunes) as they swung for the judge full of running.
Placais was seen toying with the opposition as he still bided his time a little longer before he pushed the button. Super Fortune did lengthen up once he did, but somehow, stopped at the 100m. Under the “Conductor’s” renewed urgings, the Alwin Tan-trained galloped stuck to the task at hand to prevail by one length from Dinghu Mountain (John Powell) with Bao Shan Magic (Zawari Razali) third another head away.
The winning time was 1min 10.23secs for the 1200m on the Short Course.
“I needed that win badly. It’s been four weeks I haven’t had a winner and it felt like crossing a desert,” said Placais with a touch of Gallic humour as he took his seasonal tally to 21 “victoires”.
“I’m very happy I won with this horse as I’ve always known he was a very nice horse. He worked very well at his last gallop, we cantered the first lap, and when I woke him up in the last 400m, he really showed me how good he was.
“Normally, he takes a while to quicken up but tonight, he was cantering for me and I was very confident coming to the 300m. All I was doing was keep the gun armed and just wait to pull the trigger.
“But again he tended to stop once he hit the front. That’s why I had to give him another dose and he did well to keep his mind on the job.
“He lost at his last start, but I think it was because he was a bit tired. He’s had many barrier trials, as many as four, and three races.
“Alwin gave him a short break and I think that has helped him recharge and freshen up. He’s a nice horse, but things will get more complicated for him from now on as the handicapper gives him more points.”
Tan was also full of praise for the former Sydney galloper known as Man To Love.
“Tonight, he did it again and he did it very well. I think the short break helped him, too,” said the 2016 Singapore champion trainer.
“Based on the way he won tonight, I would say he is above Class 3. He has a very big heart.”
With that third win from four starts, Super Fortune has now taken his prizemoney level past the $125,000 mark for the Eight Eight One Stable.