Top jockeys label new Singapore pair as winners in waiting

Top Singapore jockeys Vlad Duric and Barend Vorster have labelled Miracle Time and Rock Me Easy as future winners following their promising runs at Kranji last night.

The Stephen Gray-trained pair, who are part of a three-horse partnership package Lincoln Farms is putting together, finished fourth and a close-up seventh, efforts prompting both jockeys to predict bright futures.

“Vlad was very happy with Miracle Time,” says Gray. “He actually thought he’d run third and said he felt like a nice horse who would win some races for sure.

“He said he has a good attitude and just got held up a bit - behind our other horse actually - but got home really well.

“I like the way he kept trying to the line. He’ll learn a lot from it as it’s only his first prep. The way I look at it that was his first start for me really as the run on the poly track was just to get him going.’’

Duric told Gray’s team that Miracle Time would benefit from wearing blinkers, to focus him, and would be better over 1400 metres next time.

Barend Vorster … Rock Me Easy gave him a “really nice feel.”Gray describes the run of Rock Me Easy, who was just 1.2 lengths behind Miracle Time and only 1.7 lengths away from paying a dividend on debut, as “very, very good.’’

“Vorster said he had to go forward from his good draw - on that short course E you have to put yourself in the race - and he pushed him to get there, which was probably the worst way to ride him. He rode the track instead of the horse.

“He said the horse was a bit lost at what to do up the straight but he fought on well and gave him a really nice feel.’’

Vorster says Rock Me Easy wants at least a mile to show his best.

“But we’ll give him another 1400 and ride him a little bit quiet so he can use himself better and let him finish over the top of them.

‘He’ll come out of that race amazingly fitter and better and he’ll win races all right. There’s a lot of improvement in him both mentally and physically.’’

Rock Me Easy and Miracle Time join last Sunday’s impressive debutant Cru Bourgeois in Lincoln Farms’ new partnership which is almost fully subscribed.