Stephen Baster left Melbourne on a winning note as he prepares to take up a six month contract in Singapore.
The 37-year-old, who will be a retained rider with the Singapore Turf Club, flew out on Sunday and hopes to have rides at Friday’s meeting.
At his last Melbourne meeting for some time on Saturday, Baster guided the Mark Kavanagh-trained Instalment to victory at Flemington.
“I’m really looking forward to getting there and hopefully I can continue the form and get a few winners over there,” Baster said.
Baster was seen at his best when he took the initiative aboard Elvstroem three-year-old Instalment ($5) to cross from barrier eight and lead when there was a lack of pace on early in the Elms Handicap (1400m).
“It’s not easy from out there and everybody looked at each other early. Nobody could make up their minds so I gave him a dig in the ribs and he got to the front and he relaxed really well even though that wasn’t the plan,” he said.
“I was happy be be there and I always knew he was going to be hard to get past.”
“I said to Kav last night he I really like the horse. He’s very relaxed and I think he’ll get further.”
Part owned by triple AFL premiership player Andrew Mackie from Geelong, Instalment has raced three times for two wins having won a 1000m two-year-old maiden at Ballarat on debut in June after which he was spelled.
Baster also gave topweight La Rocket ($11, second) every chance when he rated him well in front in the Comedy King Hcp (1600m).
However he was unable to hold out the $61 chance, the Mark Webb-trained Over Quota, ridden by Peter Mertens, who sat off the leader and, with the 4.5kg pull in the weights, went home too well to win by three-quarters of a length.
Baster has been the stable rider for Dale Sutton for the past few years but with the trainer down to around 30 horses, he said the time was right to try his luck in Singapore.
AAP TURF
