Australian jockey Vlad Duric has completed a successful season in Singapore, breaking through for his first jockeys’ title.
Having finished second to Joao Moreira in 2010 and again last year behind another Brazilian Manoel Nunes, Duric held off Nunes to land this year’s premiership.
A winning double at Sunday’s final meeting gave Duric 83 winners, six clear of Nunes.
Duric said it was a quiet night of celebrations after 10 rides in Singapore’s heat.
“I’m rapt. It’s great to come back and to win is just super,” Duric said.
The Melbourne jockey admitted to nerves when Nunes starting making a late season challenge after being as much as 16 behind heading into the final quarter of the season.
Duric said Nunes rode six winners while he sat out two meetings through suspension, which gave the rider a sniff at another title.
“Nunes rides light and I ride a bit heavier and he was making a bit of a run at me,” Duric said.
“He was riding two or three winners a meeting and I was riding just one, so he had me a bit worried.
“Towards the end it was doing my head in.”
Duric will now take a short holiday before preparing for the new season which begins on January 1, although he’ll miss the first two meetings of the year through suspension.
“I had a slow start this year. I didn’t ride a winner for the first six meetings,” Duric said.
“Even though I’ll miss the first two meetings, I’m going to keep on working and hopefully hit the ground running when I start back.”
Fellow Australian Michael Rodd finished third with 58 winners with Glen Boss fourth on 51.
John Powell, eighth on 40, and the now-retired Danny Beasley, ninth on 35, were other Australians to finish in the top 10.
New Zealander Mark Walker won the trainers’ title with 87 winners.
Shane Baertschiger finished third with 61 winners with Cliff Brown, fifth on 55, and Stephen Burridge, seventh with 50, the Australian trainers to finish in the top 10.
