3 minute read

French jockey Marc Lerner returned from suspension a winner aboard Japanese galloper Wind Trail on Sunday.

The win was not only a welcomed ray of sunshine for Lerner, but also for the whole Hideyuki Takaoka team following the unfortunate tendon injury that has put their stable banner Jupiter Gold out of the Kranji Mile on May 25. 

Lerner, who was outed for four racedays (equivalent to three weeks, a long time in racing at Kranji) for causing interference aboard Optimum Star (who actually was his last winner on April 14), said he had been confident about Wind Trail being the tonic provider in the $50,000 Ready To Strike 2013 Stakes, a Class 4 race over 1800m on Sunday. 

While he could have spent the enforced holiday overseas, Lerner kept plugging away in trackwork at home. The last-start winner and full brother to Takaoka’s former handy mare Dance In The Wind was one of the horses who gave him a good feel at trackwork.

“It’s a good thing I kept riding trackwork during the suspension. Wind Trail  actually worked with Jupiter Gold, and he was in very good form,” said Lerner.

“(Senior track rider) Ryo (Hatano) told me the horse was well and could be my comeback win. He’s a good horse, but he’s still immature and can progress further.

“At the 300m, I knew I couldn’t lose. He hit the front a bit early, but when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go.

“He was inclined to hang in, but he was just too good.”

Indeed, approaching the 300m mark, the Screen Hero four-year-old seemed to be toying with his 13 rivals.

From a rearward spot, Lerner had gradually moved him to within striking distance while Street Party (Callan Murray) had hit the front but could not quite scoot clear. It would not matter in the end.

The moment Lerner went flat to the boards, Wind Trail ($33) sailed away to a 1 ¾ lengths from Alamak (Juan Paul van der Merwe) with Street Party holding on for third place another neck away.

The winning time was 1min 45.7secs for the 1800m on the Long Course.

“I was quietly confident. His work has been good,” said Takaoka.

“He’s a full brother to Dance In The Wind, but unlike his sister who was a frontrunner, this one likes to come from behind.”

Raced by the same Japanese connections as Dance In The Wind’s, the Galahad Racing Stable, Wind Trail has picked up cheques amounting to around $45,000 from his two wins and one second at Kranji.