Champion Singapore galloper Better Than Ever returns to racing after a 21 week spell in the G3 Merlion Trophy at Kranji this Sunday.

Better Than Ever (5g French Deputy – Songfest by Unbridled’s Song) hasn’t been seen since going amiss in the G1 Raffles Cup in October.  The NZ bred gelding showed he was on course for a forward display first-up after winning a 1000m barrier trial on Tuesday.

“He’s nice and fresh and did it nicely,” jockey Joao Moreira said.  “He will improve quite a lot on that trial.  I kept him on the bit and just helped him to the line.”

Bred and sold by Blandford Lodge, Better Than Ever won his first 12 starts and his current record reads 15 wins in 22 starts.  The son of former Arrowfield shuttler French Deputy is trained by Laurie Laxon for Jupiter Stable owner Tang Weng Fei.

Laxon bought him for $80,000 at the 2008 NZB Karaka Premier Sale.  His dam Songfest is an unraced half-sister to G3 STC Kingston Town Stakes winner Swiss Echo (Don’t Say Halo) and her latest foal is a Medaglia d’Oro filly born last September.

Better Than Ever was crowned Singapore’s 2011 Champion Miler at the Horse of the Year Awards last month.