Halfway up the straight, top-draw sprinter Super Fortune looked home and hosed in his barrier trial on Thursday morning, but in a slightly surprising move, jockey Olivier Placais was seen getting busy with the whip inside the last 100m.

After swinging for home with a massive lead, the Mossman four-year-old suddenly shortened stride rather noticeably, prompting his rider to draw the whip. A cluster of horses led by Magic Wand (Nooresh Juglall) came putting a major indent in the margin but Super Fortune was able to hold on to score by 1 ½ lengths.

Magic Wand ran second, half-a-length clear of Imperial Win (Glen Boss), with Elite Excalibur (Michael Rodd) fourth another neck away. Kirks Ryker (Barend Vorster) finished on the outside to settle for fifth place another length away.

Olivier Placais guides Super Fortune to his last win on November 12, 2017, picture Singapore Turf Club

Placais, who has dubbed Super Fortune as his pet horse ever since their first winning association last July and which has since paved the way to three more wins from a total of seven rides, was playing down the sudden reach for the persuader inside the concluding stages of the barrier trial. He said he was not surprised Super Fortune pulled that trick on him.

“He’s never been a good track worker. You need to really push him hard at times, nothing to worry about,” said the French jockey.

“He led out nicely today, and when I let him open up at the top of the straight, he was moving very well. But then, he started to loaf around, he thought his job was done, he tends to do that.

“I wanted to make sure he had a proper hitout today and that’s why I pulled the whip to make sure he stayed focused. It was still a good trial, all in all.”

Super Fortune has played second fiddle at his last two starts, beaten on both occasions by small gaps. At his last start in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m on January 26, the Alwin Tan-trained and Eight Eight One Stable-owned gelding was nabbed close home by longshot Solaris Spectrum (Krisna Thangamani), to whom he conceded five kilos.

Placais was obviously disappointed with the late twist as they looked every inch the winner everywhere except at the winning post. In hindsight, in spite of the epic effort put in first-up, he felt Super Fortune might have needed the run as he was coming back for his 2018 resumption since his last race on December 3 when a narrow second to Skywalk in another Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m.

“He had no excuse at his last run, but it’s also true he didn’t look his best in the parade ring before the race,” said Placais who was sidelined through a chest injury after that meeting and only made his riding comeback last Friday (February 23).

“That race has definitely brought him on. He looks fitter and his condition was a lot better this morning.

“I will give him the usual 400m wind-opener on Tuesday, that’s his usual routine before his race, and he should be spot-on for the iRACE Classic.”

Super Fortune is running in the iRACE Classic (1200m) (formerly known as Racing Guide Classic) next Friday week.

“It’s the perfect race for him. At this stage, I think he’s more of a 1200m horse,” said Placais.

“We’ll see how he goes next Friday. He has been a very good horse to me thus far.”