Singapore champion jockey Vlad Duric is keeping his fingers crossed this season of fits and starts is once and for all behind him from this Saturday.

The Australian heavyweight rider's 2021 campaign has been interrupted by a litany of medical leaves, suspensions, and raceday withdrawals right from the very start.

Early in the year, a throat issue sidelined him in January before a thumb injury also forced him to stay at home in July. He also became indisposed and was stood down for either a full meeting or partially at least four or five times, usually for minor health reasons.

Suspensions were not that frequent, only two for careless riding, but they certainly didn't help in regaining his momentum, more so when a fifth consecutive title is on the line.

The latest setback was a touch more serious healthwise – kidney stones, so much so September racing didn't feature the name Duric at all on the racecards.

Invariably, such prolonged absences can only mean one thing, statistically for a jockey: A drop in rides leads to a drop in winners.

After hovering around the firing line early doors, Duric has gradually slid down, and has by now all but given up hope on a successful bid for a fifth gong given he now sits in fourth place on 28 winners, a gap of 11 behind leader Danny Beasley, and another 12 behind overall leader (senior and apprentice jockeys) Hakim Kamaruddin (51 winners), with only nine meetings remaining in the season.

Though it's virtually mission impossible to peg them back, especially Hakim, Duric was just stoked to get back into the swing of things, while hoping to see out the year without any more drama.

"I've missed a lot of races, it's been a tough year," said Duric.

"My kidneys have been giving me grief, plus they had a bad reaction to medication. That really slowed me up.

"I couldn't do anything, I couldn't work or exercise for a few weeks. I also had to do quite a few tests and clear them up, pass the stones, but I'm back to normal now, and I'm back on track."

Duric last rode at the August 22 meeting when he brought up a winner, Prosperous Return , with his tally having stalled at 28 winners since.

Mindful he needs to blow away some cobwebs first, and since he is all but out of the title race, the 44-year-old rider is not marching right back in all guns blazing and trying to play catch-up. He has accepted for six rides only – three at either end, Zygarde (Race 1), Household Dynasty (Race 2) and Street Cry Success (Race 3) and Grand Koonta (Race 8), Stunning Cat (Race 11) and Shepherd's Hymn (Race 12), the sole runner for reigning Singapore champion trainer Michael Clements this week.

"Six rides is a good day back, but I may need the run. I just need to have a blowout, and I should be fitter the following week," said Duric.

"I'm still on the heavy side as I didn't want to be sweating too much because of the medication. My weight should come down in the next few weeks."

From his book of rides, Duric has singled out James Peters' Grand Koonta  in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m as his leading chance for him to bounce back to the winner's circle, despite his last-start one-paced run behind Makkem Lad in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m on September 18.

The grey sprinter carries the steadier of 58kgs and again gives weight all round, but Duric is more concerned by the dynamics of the race than the physical law of gravity.

"I'm not too worried about Grand Koonta's weight as he ran second with a big weight (58kgs, to Kharisma, whom he meets again on Saturday) once (Kranji Stakes A over 1200m on August 1). He should have won that race," said Duric.

"The key to him is you need to smother him up, give him a quiet time and he will finish off nicely, as long as you produce him at the right time. He's got an electric turn of foot.

"He relies on luck for that reason. He's got a big weight, but he's such a quality little horse and if things pan out his way, it will come down to the last bit."

Duric boasts only two pairings for one second with the Irish-bred six-year-old by Dark Angel, but they were enough for him to recognise the engine when he sat back on top of the China Horse Club-owned six-time winner.

"I galloped him on Tuesday, and he gave me a beautiful feel. He's ready to show his best," he said.

Should the rider do the same, who knows whether it won't spice things up in the jockeys' premiership, even if most think it's all over.