Karaka Premier Sale graduate Better Than Ever has returned to the race track in better form than ever, romping home to win the Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy on Sunday at Kranji.  In what was his first outing as a four-year-old, Better Than Ever galloped to his tenth victory in a row to maintain his perfect career record.

Up against an older, classy field in the 1400m event, with the likes of stakes-winning Big Maverick (O’Reilly) and stakes-placed Powerful Ruler (Viking Ruler) to contend with, Better Than Ever quickly banished any concerns about his fitness or ability in this company.  He never gave the chasing field a chance, swooping over the finish line with three and a half lengths to spare over stable mate Waikato.

Owned by Jupiter Stable, Better Than Ever’s Singapore earnings now top S$1 million (NZ$825,901).  He was purchased by Laurie Laxon for $80,000 from Blandford Lodge at the Karaka 2008 Premier Yearling Sale.

Better Than Ever is by former Arrowfield shuttler French Deputy from the Unbridled’s Song mare Songfest..  His dam has a Darci Brahma half-brother catalogued for the 2011 National Yearling Sales at Karaka starting on January 31 at Karaka.

Second placed Waikato, also trained by Laxon, made it a New Zealand Bloodstock quinella with the seven-year-old now boasting impressive career earnings of NZ$1.52 million.

Waikato is by Pins from Skywalker Wilkes and was bought at the Karaka 2005 Premier Yearling Sale by Laxon for $50,000 from Highview Stud.