Friday’s $60,000 Class 4 Division 2 race saw a nail-biting finish between four horses where the winner to emerge by a nose was Southern Man.

Hardy mare Dance In The Wind handed her Japanese trainer Hideyuki Takaoka his 400th winner at Kranji on Friday night.

Nothing like a first run to teach a cantankerous horse a thing or two about racing, especially barrier manners, but in Southern Man’s case, trainer John O’Hara would rather take it race by race even if he won handsomely on debut.

Weeks of patience have paid off with wayward newcomer Southern Man as evidenced by his smart debut win on Friday night in spite of all his barrier antics leading up to that first run.