Duric land hat-trick from four trials

Champion jockey Vlad Duric might have wished yesterday was a race day instead of the trial sessions at Kranji.

The Australian has seen Brazilian Ruan Maia narrowing his lead to just five winners and his hat-trick from four trials would have given him more breathing space for a fourth title. He finished third in the final heat.

Ksatria, his first winner, was the most impressive. The Stephen Gray-trained four-year-old came from last to win.

Caught in traffic, Duric had to switch out in the final 200m to win drawing away.

Yesterday's trial results:

TRIAL 1

1 Ksatria (V Duric) *

2 Masked Magnate (L Beuzelin) *

3 Balor (JP van der Merwe)

4 Burgundy Lad 5 Saint Knight (CC Wong) 6 Lim's Hopefully (CS Chin)

Margins and time: 1/2, 1, 13/4, 13/4, 22 (1min 00.56sec)

TRIAL 2

1 Special Ops (Duric) *

2 Silver Way (J See)

3 Boom Almighty (M Lerner) 4 Silver Sword (R Munger) 5 Crown Delight

6 Miss Michelle (I Saifudin)

Margins and time: 11/4, 13/4, 3/4, 1, 41/4, 31/4, 1/2 (1:00.96)

TRIAL 3

1 Threeandfourpence (Duric)*

2 Sky Rocket (Wong) *

3 So Hi Class (Beuzelin) * 4 Governor Of Punjab (R Maia) * 5 Implement (Munger) 6 Mr Exchequer (M Kellady) 7 Glasgow (WH Kok) 8 Webster (Chin)

9 Per Inpower (S John)

Margins and time: Hd, 3/4, nk, 1/2, 3/4, shd, 3, 1 (1:01.21)

TRIAL 4

1 Unstoppable Giant (Kellady) H

2 Try Mak Mak (See)

3 Hwasong (Duric) 4 Alexander Horatio (Wong) 5 Uncle Lucky (N Zyrul) 6 Nineteen Gale (Maia) 7 Fountain Of Fame (Saifudin) 8 My Everest (John) 9 SunMonarch (S Noh) 10 Lucky Tiger (Munger)

Margins and time: 1/2, hd, shd, shd, 1, 1/2, hd, 21/2, 1 (1:00.35)