More to come from On Line
Falcon Racing Stable's got a good one for the future
The Kranji faithful don't often forget a good thing when they see one.
And, since it was less than a fortnight ago that On Line had given them good vibes, they remembered and were quick to make him their odds-on choice on Sunday.
Then they sat back and watched as Vlad Duric did the steering on the talented three-year-old.
And, from what they saw, they would have scribbled his name into their little black books as a horse to follow at his next outing.
The son of O'Reilly was stepping up to the mile after his closing head-second to Quadcopter in a Novice race over 1,400m last Friday week.
And there was nothing amiss with him.
If anything, he vindicated trainer Michael Clements' decision to back him up within nine days.
And he did it in the best possible way, by scoring a comprehensive three-quarter length win over Forever Win (Ben Thompson) and Duxton (William Pike), who took third place in that Restricted Maiden race over the mile.
Raced by prominent Thai outfit Falcon Racing No. 7 Stable, On Line was opening his account after coming close with two seconds at his previous three outings.
Clements was obviously delighted his little gamble has paid off.
"We've always been wanting to get him up to the mile. Backing him up from last week was a question mark, but he's such a big strong horse that I thought he could take it," said the Zimbabwean-born mentor.
"At the start, he took a bit of time to get going, but once Vlad got him up and travelling, he was fine.
"The mile was not really a concern, especially with the inside barrier. I thought he'd be okay."
Duric was, on the other hand, a little worried about barrier No. 1. But, once he had On Line on the bit and coasting behind leader and longshot Champagne Finale, the two-time Singapore champion jockey could relax better.
Loath to be stuck behind a fading horse, Duric popped On Line off the fence at the 500m mark and, once they straightened up, On Line just opened up.
While On Line did fade a little late, they were never really threatened by the closing duo of Forever Win and Duxton.
"He was in the right race, but there was a question mark on his inside gate, how I would have to navigate him early," said Duric.
"He was also backing up from last week, but he got the job done. He wanted the mile and a bit further down the road."
As for his backers, well, they took the $8 payout in their stride, knowing fully well that there was more to be made by just keeping him on their radar.
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