3 minute read
Veteran trainer Mohd Yusof will look back on the 2014 season with plenty of fondness.
Not only has the Singaporean handler surpassed his expectations with his best ever haul of winners in almost a decade, his small operations has been boosted by a promising star in the shape of Smart Lad.
The Australian-bred gelding, with apprentice jockey A’Isisuhairi Kasim astride, was utterly dominant as he took out the Panasonic Projector Stakes on Sunday, coasting across the line with room to spare to claim the $65,000 Initiation race over 1600m by over three lengths from Super Joe (Zuriman Zukifli) with Mighty Glory (Nooresh Juglall) another length-and-a-half back in third.
Smart Lad, a Prince Arthur three-year-old, is raced under the familiar black and yellow silks of the Smart Bet Stable whose association with Yusof runs deep, having previously placed their star galloper and 2002 Horse of the Year Smart Bet under his care.
Smart Bet remains the only horse to have won all three legs of the Singapore Triple Crown Series, albeit across two years, and is widely regarded as one of the best horses to have raced at Kranji before he succumbed to colic.
It is early days in Smart Lad’s career and he still has plenty to prove though. This was his first win from five attempts though he gave a glimpse of his ability with a battling performance to finish a brave fourth just behind top two-year-old Affleck in the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1200m) in July before another stubborn effort to take third despite having cast a plate in a Restricted Maiden outing (1400m) last month.
Yet the way he broke through for his maiden victory, having raced three wide at some points of the eight-furlong trip before exploding at the top of the straight to motor past his rivals, would have thoroughly satisfied Yusof.
“He’s still a bit green and still learning to race with blinkers (having donned the headgear for the first time at his last start) but he finished very strongly today and he’s a very nice young horse,” he said.
This was the 61-year-old Yusof’s 19th winner of the season and represents his most productive campaign since 2004 when he saddled 24 winners, a figure that remains within sight with 10 weeks of racing still ahead.
“To get 19 winners from just over 30 horses (he has 31 in his stable) is a pretty good return,” he said. “I’ve got a few good horses this year and some young ones who are doing well for me.”
Smart Lad, who has collected just over $50,000 in stakes earnings with the potential of more to come, is certainly one with a bright future and his commanding display had his rider A’Isisuhairi purring about his potential.
“He’s definitely more of a stayer,” said last year’s champion apprentice who did his chances of retaining his title no harm with a winning brace on Sunday. “The way he travelled around the bend, at the 700m, he had plenty in the tank left and when I pushed the button he just cruised past the rest of them easily.”
He also pointed to Smart Lad’s progress with blinkers as a sign that there were more improvements to come from the gelding who made it tough for himself with a slow jump from gate 10 and found himself having to cover more ground than anticipated as he tracked the frontrunners from his midfield position.
Once the Kelantan-born hoop was able to maneuver his mount into position to put pressure on the leading pack, the result was never in doubt for the $9 favourite. The winning time on the Short Course was 1min 34.90secs.
“He was more confident racing with them and much sharper than his last race,” said A’Isisuhairi. “At his last start, he was quite confused down the straight and was constantly changing his stride and not sure what he was doing.
“He was much better this time and the step up in distance suited him today. I always felt 1600m was going to be the perfect distance for him.”