When jockey Nooresh Juglall affirms no horse deserves a Group win more than Majestic Moments, there is no doubt a touch of bias, but it is unlikely many will disagree either.

It’s a fact that the Mauritian rider has forged a fruitful association with the Darci Brahma five-year-old. He was in the irons for 23 of his 28 starts, booting him home at five of his seven wins, including most notably, their memorable first win for both rider and horse on June 15, 2014.

But what has made Juglall grow even fonder of the gallant gelding – and badly craving that first feature win in tandem is his frustrating record of seconds in such events.

Moment of truth: Nooresh Juglall and Majestic Moments bid for Group 1 glory this Sunday.

It all began in this year’s Group 1 Patron’s Bowl (1600m) when the $25 shot stormed home only to be denied by a quarter-length by Well Done. With the bit between his teeth, Juglall could not wait to exact revenge at the ultimate prize for four-year-olds in three weeks’ time, the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m), but it felt like deja-vu when it was again David Kok’s chestnut who denied him glory.

Juglall is not the type who looks in the rear-view mirror, and thought that Group success could not elude Patrick Shaw’s galloper forever.

As luck, or lack thereof would have it, Majestic Moments played second fiddle again, twice, first to Quechua in the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (1800m) and the latest in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m, where none other than War Affair took his turn to give him another feeling of Groundhog Day.

You can’t blame the born optimist in Juglall to start believing Majestic Moments cannot shake off that bridesmaid tag, more so when he will have his last three nemeses on his path again, Well Done, Quechua and War Affair in this Sunday’s $700,000 Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile (1600m).

“Every time he runs, I tell myself he will do it this time, but again he finds one better,” said Juglall with a wry smile.

“Majestic Moments has been a special horse to me from Day 1. He gave both himself and myself our first wins at our Kranji debuts and that will be something I will never forget.

“Rafaello (also trained by Shaw) is a close second as I rode him to all his seven wins, but without taking anything from him as he’s been good to me, too, it’s Majestic Moments that I have a soft spot for.

“The cherry on the top would be a Group win together now. There is no other horse who deserves it better than him.”

But as much as Juglall, who himself has three Group 3 wins at Kranji under the belt, wants to believe in poetic justice or fairytales, he has his feet firmly on the ground.

“The Kranji Mile will be even tougher as it’s a level-weight race and he’s running against horses who have all beaten him. To me, War Affair is still the horse to beat and I think he’s improved even further after that win,” he said.

“I can’t be too confident about our chances in the Kranji Mile, but my horse has definitely got his chance. He’s all heart and I know he’ll always give his best.

“We’ve been very unlucky with four seconds in a row, especially in the Patron’s Bowl and the Derby. There were many factors, like the run didn’t come or he found trouble, but that’s racing and we have to accept it.

“All I can hope is to have luck in the running this time.”

If there is one box he knows he has covered, it is the Tmen Stable’s gelding’s trackwork leading up to Sunday’s Group 1 assignment.

“He’s maintained his condition since his last run. He’s working well and he’s happy with himself,” he said.

“He worked at three-quarter pace in the home straight with Quechua (Barend Vorster) yesterday and he took his work very well. I couldn’t be happier with him.

“The other good thing is the mile which is his favourite distance compared to 1400m. Fingers crossed, all we need now is some luck.”