Laurie Laxon left it to the last race of the season to claim a seventh Singapore trainers' title.

In a nail-biting finish to the 2012 premiership, Laxon trained Speedy Ahead to win the final event at Kranji, a victory which helped him draw level on 76 wins with Michael Freedman.

He was awarded the title after a countback because he trained more second placegetters than his rival.

Laxon, best known in his native New Zealand and Australia as the trainer of the 1988 Melbourne Cup winner Empire Rose, relocated to Singapore in 2000.

"This seventh title means a lot to me as Singapore, to me, is the best place to race a horse," he told the Singapore Turf Club website.

"The money you earn is worth every dollar you spend, it's fantastic.

"In my 13 years spent here, I've never seen a premiership go so close. Usually, whether it's the trainers, jockeys or apprentice jockeys, it is settled before the last meeting.

"It's been hard work this year as we don't really have any stars in our stable. We even had seven empty boxes all year.

"It's only in the last weeks, seeing how it was so close that I decided to give it a go."

The youngest of Australia's famous Freedman brothers, Michael Freedman has been in Singapore for five seasons.

Brazil's Joao Moreira made a one-act affair of the jockeys' premiership, ridding 206 winners to beat Australian riders Stephen Baster (72) and Dan Beasley (67).