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The only thing leading trainer Michael Clements could be sure of after the running of Saturday’s $50,000 Class 4 race over 1700m was the addition of one more stick to his tally, but as to the identity of who turned provider to that 56th win for the year, he just had to wait a bit longer.

Stablemates Iron Ruler (Vlad Duric) and Voluminous (Ryan Munger) staged a ding-dong battle that began from the top of the lane all the way to the winning post for a cliffhanger of a finish that even the judge had to view through a magnifying glass before the semaphore board could be lit up.

Favourite Iron Ruler  ($14) clearly took at least a neck advantage at some stage, but Voluminous, who led after whipping around from the second-worst gate, valiantly fought his way back on the fence.

It was so close that not many dared hazard a guess who won the bob. Even assistant-trainer Michael White was leaning more towards the less-fancied Voluminous on the inside, but the judge eventually handed his verdict: Iron Ruler by a nose.

From a premiership perspective, Clements would not be too picky about who had helped put a bit more daylight between him and Mark Walker.

The Zimbabwean-born trainer is now 12 winners clear on the defending champion and should, barring an improbable twist of fortunes, collect his first local title in 23 years of training on December 27.

"It's a good result for both horses," said White filling in for Clements.

"Iron Ruler is still work in progress but when he gets the rails, he really finds another gear. Today, he had to come on the outside, but he still did a good job to win.

"As for Voluminous, she put the writing on the wall at her last start. It wasn't the plan to go forward, but Ryan made the right decision.

"She's a dour staying mare who has improved a lot. We thought she'd be a decent chance today.

"If she pulls up well, there is a Class 4 race over 2000m for her next week."

The hard-fought win also mirrored the way Duric has been finding the going in the concluding stages in his bid to secure a fourth consecutive Singapore champion jockey title.

Clear by 20 winners at one stage, the Australian has seen his lead melt to only seven winners on Ruan Maia.

Fewer races, suspensions, getting stood down (through dehydration like last Saturday), and more pointedly, the insatiable hunger to win of a brazen Brazilian have in some way or another anchored Duric down a bit this season.

But whether it's a win earned by the skin of his teeth or 10 lengths, Duric has now edged his lead to eight wins, which even the most conservative of observers would see as enough to see him clinch a fourth crown.

"If it wasn't a dead-heat, I thought we'd won. It could've gone either way," said Duric.

"We wanted to lead but as Ryan wanted to go forward, we took a sit, but my horse is better on the rails.

"I think if he had kept the lead, he would have won by one length. I know him better from the ride today."

In his best race to-date, Japanese-bred Captain Singapore (Shafrizal Saleh) stuck on well for third place another 3 ¼ lengths from the Clements duo. The winning time was 1min 44.09secs for the 1700m on the Polytrack.