NUNES IS BACK IN BUSINESS

Brazilian ace has not been as prolific of late, but four-timer puts him level with Queiroz

- Michael Lee

Champion jockey Manoel Nunes turned in a masterclass at Kranji on May 25, booting home four winners to keep his hopes of a sixth title well and truly alive.

The Brazilian maestro has dominated the Singapore riding ranks for several years, but many thought his stranglehold could be shaken in 2024 with the emergence of compatriot Bruno Queiroz the Young and hungry, 23-year-old from Rio de Janeiro already put the writing on the wall at his first season in 2023. Despite starting late in July, he scooped up 28 winners for a 18 per cent strike rate and eighth place.

Kicking off on level terms in 2024, Queiroz lived up to the billing by taking the race up to Nunes from Day 1.

The ding-dong battle between the old guard and the new upstart did not fail to fuel fans' excitement as they went toe to toe in the first three months.

But Queiroz started to gain the ascendancy from April, as he garnered slightly more support, both in terms of quality and quantity.

The disparity did not go unnoticed. On some days, Queiroz would get a full book while Nunes, 48, uncharacteristically had some resting time between rides.

Going into the May 25 meeting, the standings read Queiroz on 33 wins and Nunes on 30.