A blanket finish to the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1700m saw Iron Ruler come out of a scrap to record a narrow win on Saturday.

After being ridden up with the pace, the Dissident five-year-old went for broke at the top of the straight as he collared race-leader Caribbean Lady (Saifudin Ismail), but soon had the swoopers breathing down his neck left, right and centre.

For a second, the $56 shot looked like he would be gunned down with the prospect of some minor prizemoney the most optimistic outcome.

But just when Iron Ruler  looked like he would be gobbled up, he dug down deep under Shafrizal Saleh's vigorous handling to hang in there by a short head from a gallant Caribbean Lady, who herself staved Free Fallin' (Matthew Kellady) off by a neck with Sound The Siren (Wong Chin Chuen) in fourth place another short head away.

Favourite Hero (Shafiq Rizuan) looked to be toying with his opponents when he jogged up to the outside of the leaders at the 300m, but was, however, unable to quicken away when given the office. The last-start winner still did well to hang on for fifth place one length off the winner.

Iron Ruler, whose last win came almost one year ago (December 12, 2020) in a similar Class 4 1700m contest, clocked 1min 46.17secs for the 1700m on the Polytrack, and was ringing up his fourth win from 23 starts for prizemoney that has now reached around the $180,000 mark for the Falcon Racing No 7 Stable.

Winning trainer Michael Clements said Iron Ruler turns in his best performances when he races handy hard up against the rails, but having a horse on his inside on Saturday was a good enough substitute.

"Iron Ruler is not an easy horse to ride in trackwork or in his races. He always hangs to the left, he's better when he finds the rails," said the Singapore champion trainer.

"But today, he had a horse next to him and that worked out well. Shafrizal knows this horse very well as he rides him in trackwork.

"He's a horse who races best when there is not too strong a pace and he's up there and comfortable.

"At his last start, there was too much pressure on his inside and outside. The pace was too strong while today the pace was slower.

"He kept rolling down the back, hit the front at the top of the straight, and was very gutsy to the line.

"It was a very strong ride from Shafrizal, and the horse also won a race that was full of merit.

"He had been up in class before and it turned out to be too strong for him. We gave him a break.

"He resumed over short distances where he was not expected to do well, but today's trip was more up his alley.

"He has found the right place in the handicap and the conditions favoured him today."