A freshen-up seems to have been the key to rekindling the winning touch in Polytrack specialist Mr Luck.

We all know jockey Vlad Duric is a hard worker, and at times, the less physical side also gets a bit of a workout, more specifically, the brains.

The first two-year-old race of the year was captured with great confidence by odds-on favourite Drone on Friday night.

Billed as an exciting sprint race worthy of a Group 1 label, the $500,000 Group 2 Merlion Trophy certainly lived up to that tag with Polytrack specialist Distinctive Darci charging late for a most thrilling win on Friday night.

Trainer Stephen Gray was looking forward to seeing a smart pair of four-year-old's of his race at Friday night’s meeting, but a virus will see him saddle only one in the end – Sky Rocket.

In a surprising about-turn, Maximus is doing a switcheroo of feature races this Friday.

Tannhauser seems to be on the right path as far as attempts to teach him to settle better goes.

Brazilian jockey Ruan Maia’s dream of riding in Singapore will come true on Friday night when he gets a leg-up aboard the Hong Kong-owned Circuit Land in the $500,000 Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m).

A wide alley in a sprint feature is not usually good news, but trainer Shane Baertschiger didn’t think it was the end of the world for Aramco.

Earlier this year, trainer Stephen Gray had identified the Singapore Sprint Series as the comeback campaign for stable star Lim’s Cruiser.

First Choice lived up to his name when he emerged at the thicker end of the prizemoney in a three-way thriller on Tuesday night.

Trainer Hideyuki Takaoka said he had done all he could do with Golazo, but wished he could also be a horse shrink to get the very best out of him.

A textbook frontrunning ride from jockey Matthew Kellady aboard Nepean kept the Shane Baertschiger yard going great guns on Tuesday night.

The Cliff Brown-trained Mister Yeoh bounced back from his brave last-start defeat in the first Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge to stylishly claim the second Leg, the $500,000 Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) on Sunday.

A return to Polytrack and easier company paved the way to a gutsy win from honest sprinter Mokastar on Friday night.

After four seconds from as many starts, Good Catch finally shed his maiden status with a gutsy win in the $85,000 Debt Collector 2016 Stakes, a Restricted Maiden race over 1000m on Sunday.

Trainer David Kok had the Singapore Guineas locked in for Terrific following his authoritative win in the $45,000 War Affair 2014 Stakes (1600m) on Sunday.

Progressive galloper Curvature made light of a nightmarish barrier to score on Sunday arguably his most impressive win since moving to Kranji.
 

Long-priced Waialae’s all-the-way victory may have stunned most, but it did bring the old firm of owner Bernard Lee and the Freedman name back in the winner’s circle on Friday night.

A riding double gave jockey John Powell not only the riding honours, but also a belated birthday present on Friday night.

Talented Screen Hero mare Dance In The Wind makes her long-awaited comeback from injury in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m on Friday night.

Trainer Leslie Khoo saw “Singapore Guineas” written all over a fetching O’Reilly yearling parading at the Karaka sales ring two years ago.

Sporting an unusually bright green hood and matching brow roll to boot, Irish import Yulong Xiongyin did more than make a fashion statement by also showcasing his natural speed with a brilliant win on debut at Kranji on Friday night.

A foot setback saw Clarton Super step out for his much-awaited barrier trial one week later than scheduled, but the pleasing hit-out on Tuesday left no doubts that the dual-Group winner had come through the slight hiccup without a hitch.

Dreams of a second consecutive Chairman’s Trophy were shattered for Forever Young’s connections after the Group 1-winning galloper fractured his fetlock in trackwork on Tuesday morning.

Vlad Duric is not only quick on his horses when it comes to making split-second decisions, but also on his phone, it would seem.

Vlad Duric is not only quick on his horses when it comes to making split-second decisions, but also on his phone, it would seem.

Lee Freedman’s brilliant sprinter Augustano will not be running in the $500,000 Group 2 Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic (1400m) on Sunday.

A 10-out-of-10 ride from leading jockey Vlad Duric saw Distinctive Darci blow away his rivals in the $125,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1000m on Sunday.

The Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) is firmly set in Maximus’s sights after he put his rivals to the sword in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes B race over 1600m on Sunday.

Trainer Ricardo Le Grange was walking rather cautiously towards the winner’s stall even after his ward Zac Ace was first past the line on Sunday.

A bit of a letdown at his last start, Boy Wonder bounced straight back to form to land the $85,000 Novice race over 1200m on Polytrack, albeit by the slenderest of margins, on Sunday.

A touch of serendipity brought trainer Stephen Gray and loyal owners Mr and Mrs Chen together in the purchase of a Per Incanto three-year-old – and now they are the proud owner of a potential Singapore Guineas starter in Wecando.

The Lim’s & Mark’s Stable saddled race-to-race winners at Kranji on Friday night when Country Quack and Swift Embrace landed the spoils one after another.

Top jockey Michael Rodd claimed the riding honours with a hat-trick of wins in the last three races on Friday night’s eight-race programme.

Trainer Alwin Tan said the lack of suitable races for Infantry has made it a Catch-22 situation in terms of raising his fitness level to the desired level.

After playing out various speedmap scenarios for Sunday’s $100,000 Kranji Stakes B race over 1600m in his mind, Maximus’s regular partner Troy See has singled out the other flyer in the field, Lim’s Shot as the pivotal player.

Polytrack specialist Distinctive Darci’s run on Sunday will give trainer Mark Walker a good guide about his prospects in the $500,000 Group 2 Merlion Trophy (1200m) on April 27.

Trainer Kuah Cheng Tee did not look too concerned after Forever Young ran a long last in his barrier trial on Tuesday morning.

Irish-bred newcomer Nova Vocal certainly made a show-stopping entrance at his Kranji debut after he blew his rivals away in the $85,000 Restricted Maiden race on Sunday.

Japanese mare Sun Pittsburgh’s second-up win for trainer Hideyuki Takaoka and jockey Olivier Placais more than made up for the bitter disappointment of losing the previous race by an eyelash on Sunday.

Trainer Daniel Meagher was delighted he backed his own judgement when putting his relatively inexperienced apprentice jockey Chin See Cheng on a leading chance like Webster on Sunday.

Exciting three-year-old Zac Kasa rebounded from his last-start defeat with an awesome winning display in Sunday’s last race.

A game win from favourite Siam Sapphire in the $100,000 Class 2 race over 1200m on Sunday helped Michael Clements cement his top spot on the Singapore trainer’s premiership.

Long regarded as a frontrunner to give Singaporean trainer Young Keah Yong his first career win, Crown Gift did come close twice, but it was his own mission to crack it for his first win that turned out to be the biggest challenge.

Trainer Bruce Marsh jokingly said he needed a map to find his way to the Champagne Room on Friday night after Uncle Lucky finally ended his long wait for his first 2018 win.

Target hit bullseye for the second time in a row after he led from start to finish in the $80,000 Kranji Stakes C race over 1700m on Polytrack on Friday night.

Fresh from his dual Group-winning feat of the past Easter weekend, trainer Shane Baertschiger marked his debut with owner Tivic Stable with a gutsy victory from Olympian Eager on Friday night.

Bold frontrunner Zac Kasa had no luck at the barriers this time around after he drew gate No 10 in Sunday’s last race, but jockey Michael Rodd was not overly concerned.

Trainer Daniel Meagher put Singapore on the map in Sydney after he walked away with a A$250,000 purchase at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale on Thursday.
 

Leading trainer Michael Clements could not fault his Sunday trio of McGregor, Justice Day and Siam Sapphire in the $100,000 Class 2 race over 1200m on Polytrack, but if he had to split them, he would be leaning slightly towards the baby, Siam Sapphire.

Quarter Back, Yabadabadoo and Safeer will make up trainer Michael Clements’ team of three-year-old's in the second Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge.

Veteran sprinter Wild Dude’s better than expected run in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m) at Meydan last Saturday did give Singapore something to cheer about – and possibly more to look forward to in the next five years.

Many Kranji on-course racegoers did a double take when they saw on the TV simulcast a Super Winner going all the way up the Ipoh straight on March 4.

Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker was noticeably absent at the first Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge on Friday, but may have found himself a late ticket with impressive winner Lim’s Zoom two days later.

Talented galloper Chopin’s Fantaisie bounced back to the winner’s circle in the $100,000 Japan Racing Association Trophy, a Kranji Stakes B race over 1400m on Sunday, but in the process showed how his reserve of courage was bottomless after it transpired he had bled again.