A fleeting leader twice already this year alone, trainer Michael Clements sprang back to the top of the heap courtesy of a training double on Friday night.

The yellow jersey has been swapped between him and Steven Burridge a few times this year. Clements was the early lamplighter with a training treble on New Year’s Day before Burridge took over, and Clements went tops again with another hat-trick of wins on March 2.

The latest status to the ongoing ding-dong battle had the Zimbabwean-born Clements tied with his Australian rival on 16 winners before Friday’s meeting, but second on a countback for seconds (four versus Burridge’s nine).  


Siam Sapphire (Vlad Duric) clears out for a smart win in Race 7, picture Singapore Turf Club

But Clements again took the outright lead after collecting two wins from a team of four runners; Amistad ($21) in the opener, the $20,000 Class 5 race over 1100m and Siam Sapphire ($17) in the seventh race, the $80,000 Class 3 race over 1200m.

Both were the top picks in their respective contests. Clements’ two other runners, Imperium ($26) and Loving You ($49) were actually well tried, too, in the $85,000 Novice race over 1200m, but could only run third and eighth respectively, beaten fair and square by another three-year-old Lord O’Reilly (see earlier report).

While a little disappointed with the filly’s (Loving You) unplaced run from a Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge viewpoint, Clements could not complain with the overall results.

“Siam Sapphire is ultra-consistent and he showed it at his last five or six runs,” he said.

“Not much went right for him at his last start when he came out of the barriers for Michael Rodd, but he’s bounced back tonight. I think he’s also better on Polytrack.

“I was also very happy with Imperium’s run in the Novice race. He ran on very nicely for third place, but for Loving You, I think she can do better than what she showed tonight.

“She’s only three and she can grow and develop further. I will probably give her a break and bring her back later.”

Duric said that Siam Sapphire, a four-year-old by Showcasing, was hard to beat when on song.

“He got into trouble around the start the other day. Michael was on him and they got jammed badly,” said the current leading jockey (21 winners, one clear of Rodd).

“There was no such problem tonight and he got into an ideal position behind the leaders. When things go his way, he is quite a capable horse.”

With that fourth win, Siam Sapphire has brought his takings past the $210,000 mark for Thai outfit Pupetch Racing Stable.