Prosperous Return for Nunes, indeed

Since returning from a four-year absence last November, three-time Singapore champion Manoel Nunes has been riding with clockwork regularity.

After a strike rate of one in four - eight winners from 32 rides in four race days last November - the Brazilian has performed even better this season.

His five-bagger on Saturday - with Fireworks, The Bullet, Born To Win, Luck Of Master and the aptly named Prosperous Return - has improved his strike rate to about one winner in three rides.

He has claimed 20 winners from 66 rides in two months this year - five clear of Danny Beasley.

Scooping up winners by the spades is quite common for Nunes, but five is not his all-time best.

On July 4, 2014, the former Macau multiple-champion scored six times at Kranji - aboard Snitzel Spirit, Big Harvest, Sand Lane, City Lad, Danny and Reach For The Sun.

"It's one of those days when things just went well for me. I had good rides, but I also needed luck in the running," said Nunes. "I've ridden five winners before, but six was my best score back in 2014."

Prosperous Return's recovery, from his creditable fifth to Hard Too Think in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 1,800m last October to land the $70,000 Class 3 event over 1,200m, really impressed Nunes.

He knew there was an engine in the Michael Clements-trained and Tivic Stable-owned galloper from his trackwork.

"When I jumped on the horse, I could feel the energy, and he went on to show what a really good horse he is," he said. "I rode him back in the field and he ran on very well. He's a lovely horse.

"I'm sure he'll improve after that first run. I thought the 1,200m was a bit sharp, but I rode him quiet so he can finish it off."

Prosperous Return was among a pool of quality horses Clements could tap from for the big races last year. He fared okay, but the ultimate test, the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup over 2,000m was skipped in favour of a break.

Clements' assistant trainer, Michael White, must have felt vindicated after the tough decision to bypass the $1 million time-honoured race last November paid dividends on Saturday.

"He's a promising horse. We skipped the Gold Cup last year as we felt he wasn't ready for such a race after the QE II Cup," said the Australian.

"We gave him a nice break and, even though the distance was too short today, we thought he was the best horse in the race."

Prosperous Return surely looked the part at the 300m mark, where he came off a smothered run from the rear to dash through the pack with a pulsating kick.

Another comeback runner, Sure Will Do (Wong Chin Chuen), was also in the mix. He came swooping down on the outside.

But Prosperous Return produced the better turn of foot on the inside to score by a length to justify his $12 favouritism in 1min 10.10sec on the Short Course A.

Unfortunately, there was bad news after the race. Prosperous Return was found to have bled in both nostrils.

He has been barred from trackwork for two months and racing for three months.

This has ruled him out from the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile on May 21.