NZ bred star Better Than Ever returned to form to successfully defend his G1 Kranji Mile crown in Singapore on Sunday.

The son of former Arrowfield shuttler French Deputy gave trainer Laurie Laxon his fourth Kranji Mile in a row with a head victory over Clear For Action (Commands) and stablemate Waikato (Pins).

Laxon won the Kranji Mile with Top Spin (2008) and Waikato (2009) before Better Than Ever’s running double.  

Better Than Ever (5g French Deputy – Songfest by Unbridled’s Song) increased his unbeaten streak to 11 last year whereas his latest win broke a run of five outs since the G3 Polytrack Mile Championship in March.

“I never lost faith in him,” Laxon said.  “I was never really concerned – to my mind he had still been running well.

“He’s a sound horse and ideally suited under the weight-for-age conditions and it’s great to have him back in winning form again.”

Better Than Ever has won 15 races in 21 starts for Jupiter Stable owner Tang Weng Fei after being purchased for $80,000 from Blandford Lodge at the 2008 NZB Karaka Premier Sale.  

Laxon will set him for the G1 Raffles Cup (1800m) at Kranji on October 23.

Better Than Ever has a 2yo half-brother by Darci Brahma that failed to reach a $150,000 reserve at the 2011 NZB Karaka Premier Sale.  Their dam Songfest foaled a Medaglia d’Oro filly last month.