Vlad Duric lands a third Singapore crown after his best season yet

Australia’s Vlad Duric has bagged a gong in Singapore, while Michael Dee is returning home to New Zealand to ride in the feature festive races.

Australian Vlad Duric has won a third straight Singapore jockeys’ premiership while also enjoying his most successful year.

The Singapore season wound up on Sunday with Duric landing four winners, giving him 88 for the year, ­bettering his previous best of 83 in 2017. He rode 73 winners last season.

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“It’s been a wonderful year,” Duric told the Singapore Turf Club on Monday.

“I surpassed my previous best and I’m really pleased about that, but I wouldn’t have done that without all the support.

“My wife and my kids have been wonderful to me and I’m also very lucky that I get a wide range of support from all the trainers and owners.

“It’s been a really good year and I am extremely grateful and appreciative of all the ­opportunities I get.”

Duric led home a strong ­­expatriate Australian team of jockeys.

Michael Rodd finished third with 64 winners. John Powell on 40, Ben Thompson 29, Daniel Moor 24 and Glen Boss 18 all finished in the top 10.

Thompson has decided to return to Melbourne and has already picked up a ride at Sandown on Wednesday, while Boss returned to Australia mid-year, setting up base in Sydney.

Since his return, Boss has won The Everest on Yes Yes Yes and the Epsom Handicap and Golden Eagle on Kolding.

New Zealand’s Mark Walker won his third Singapore trainers’ premiership with 73 winners.

Australians to finish in the top 10 were Daniel Meagher (3rd, 52), Cliff Brown (4th, 49), Shane Baertschiger (5th, 49), Lee Freedman (6th, 42) and Steven Burridge (10th, 30).

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Jockey Michael Dee will return to New Zealand over the new year but it won’t be all rest and recuperation.

CHRISTMAS ACROSS THE DITCH FOR DEE

Melbourne-based Michael Dee is returning home to New Zealand for Christmas and will ride in feature races at Ellerslie during the holiday period.

Dee owns a farm in New Zealand with parents Richard and Jo and will extend his stay to the new year to ride three-year-old Kali in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m) for trainer Tony Pike.

“I’ve been home for Christmas for the last few years and rode at Ellerslie on Boxing Day two years ago, but had the week off last year,” Dee said.

“This time I’ll fly over on the 24th, have Christmas with my family, then go up to ride at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.”

Dee, who sits eighth on the Victorian jockeys’ premiership, rode on the second day of last month’s New Zealand Cup meeting, at which he landed a treble.

Kali, by Darci Brahma, was unplaced as one of the favourites in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton last month and is expected to get into the Railway with about 51.5kg.

Originally published as Vlad Duric lands a third Singapore crown after his best season yet