Trainer Mohd Yusof had a good day at the office last Sunday in the form of a rare double with Justice Fair and Dragon Highness.

The unassuming handler, who now stands at six winners for the year, is not one to dwell over such events, even if it represented a 50 per cent jump to his season tally. He just wants to move on and go look for that next winnable race.

Twenty-four hours later, that race might well be Sunday’s $1.15 million Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m).
 

Justice Fair (Alan Munro) clinches his first Kranji win on Sunday, picture Singapore Turf Club
 

And the unlikely horse to fly his banner in the prestigious third Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge is none other than his Sunday Class 4 winner Justice Fair.

Yusof, who is known more as a boutique trainer and has not had a Derby runner since Huat Chai in 2009 when ninth to Jolie’s Shinju, said he had no idea the Irish-bred four-year-old – a one-time winner over 2000m on a provincial track in France - would back up so quickly for the big race. Watch The Crab was his runner the year before and ran sixth to Top Spin.

“The horse came to me from Cliff Brown and I’ve had him for six runs and he’s gradually been stepping up over more ground. He is bred to stay and won a nice race over 1800m last Sunday,” he said.

“But the owner Lucky Stable, through his racing manager Richard See, are keen to run him in the Derby and told me to enter him.

“He got six points after his win and is now on 61 points. I didn’t think he would qualify but he did.

“It’ll be tough for him, but the owner (Robert Ng) himself has not had a runner in the Derby for a long time. To them, it’s a sense of pride to have a representative in a race like the Derby.”

Yusof said he was not too worried about the short notice given Justice Fair does not need a lot of work to get fit, and besides he still had residual fitness from Sunday’s win.

“He is by Lope De Vega who won the Prix du Jockey Club over 2100m at Chantilly. So I am sure he can see out 2000m,” said Yusof.

“He has pulled up well after his win. He’s not a big horse and does not need a lot of work, he will be kept fresh for the Derby.”

Yusof, who honed his craft with the legendary Tommy Smith (father of current Sydney premier trainer Gai Waterhouse) in Australia, was also not all that bothered by the short timespan between races.

“I’ve done it before. It’s okay, some horses can take it,” said Yusof.

“I remember Golden Glory won a 1800m race and one week later he won the Lion City Cup over 1200m, ridden by Oscar Chavez. Most people thought it was daring, but it’s paid off.

“No doubt, there is no coming back in trip this time, but getting horses to race again after one week is certainly not an issue.”

Yusof has yet to confirm who will ride Justice Fair in the Derby, a race he won twice, first with Noble Spirits (also ridden by Chavez) in 1994 and the great Smart Bet (Larry Cassidy) in 2002.