Duric's back and hoping for a better year ahead
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Four-time champion jockey Vlad Duric has seven rides for his first meeting of the new racing season.
ST PHOTO: DAVE LIM
After missing the first four race meetings of the new season, four-time Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric is back today with seven rides at Kranji.
The 43-year-old did not ride on the first two days because of a careless riding suspension. He was then delayed by another two meetings by a minor throat problem.
He is certainly happy to be back sooner rather than later, but the climb back to the top will not happen overnight, even with his main challenger Ruan Maia being lured to Hong Kong.
"I've not been feeling great about the long break with the suspension and the throat issue. It's been stop-and-start, but I'm keen to get back, build up some momentum and get back into some consistency," said the Australian, who captured his fourth consecutive title last season with 65 winners, just three ahead of Maia.
"My throat seems a lot better. I've stopped taking medication since Thursday. I took things easy this week, just freshened up. I rode at the trials on Tuesday."
The Michael Clements-trained last-start winner Knight Love appears to be his best chance today, but Duric also seems hopeful on some of his other rides.
"Knight Love looks like a nice horse in the last race, but I've also got other horses like Kassab, who's a really good chance in the Open Maiden," he said.
"Actually, all my rides have some sort of chance. Hopefully, I can get a win and hit the ground running."
Besides Knight Love (Race 10) and Kassab (Race 6), he is also nominated on Hwasong (Race 1), Prosperous Return (Race 2), St Alwyn (Race 4), Silkardo (Race 7) and Threeandfourpence (Race 9).
Knockers might argue that he has already been served a fifth consecutive title on a silver platter following Maia's departure. But Duric begs to differ. To him, the only one he is riding against is himself.
"It makes no difference Ruan has left. I only focus on my own rides," he said.
"I've always had someone to push me during my career here. First, it was Joao Moreira (2010-2011), then Manoel Nunes (2016-2017), followed by Michael Rodd (2018), Benny Woodworth (2019) and last year it was Maia.
"It's important to have people like them to elevate you, to make you strive to be competitive. Ruan may have left, but there are other guys who will step up.
"I'll just focus on myself and my goal, which is to keep having success for my clients and myself, and hopefully, I'll have a better year ahead."
