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Know Each Other’s last-start win gave Steven Lam a rare uplifting moment this year.
But the Hong Kong-born trainer is under no illusions about the remote possibility of a repeat feat in the $100,000 Premier Racing Bloodstock Stakes (1400m) this Friday.
Lam currently sees them all on the Singapore log of 26 trainers, having saddled only three winners this term, the last one being Know Each Other himself, on August 24. Ridden on that day by Ivaldo Santana, who incidentally also gave Lam his other two earlier 2014 winners (Double Cash and Bingo), both in May, Know Each Other enjoyed a ground-saving run four lengths off the lead before coming out four wide in the home straight to assert his superiority inside the last 250m.
The Hard Spun three-year-old may have come through the 1400m trip with distinction, but not quite so at the start. Proving fractious in his gate, he was required to pass a barrier test before being cleared to race again.
Shrugging off this setback as just part and parcel of a three-year-old’s learning curve, Lam is more worried about the chasm in class between his horse and undisputed juvenile champion Affleck (73 versus 54) than his barrier manners.
“It wasn’t his fault. He was a bit fresh on that day,” said Lam.
“But rules are rules. He was given a white card and he’s passed it without any problem.
“That barrier trial was a good hit-out and he’s been working very well going into Friday’s race, but on ratings, he still faces a stiff task against Affleck.”
Among the well-beaten horses the Laurie Laxon-trained budding star, then two, left in his wake in the Group 3 Juvenile Championship (1200m) on July 27 was Know Each Other, who finished sixth, just under four lengths astern. With both that race and the Premier Racing Bloodstock Stakes being run at set weights, Know Each Other, who will have Santana up again on Friday, faces a near-impossible task of turning the tables.
“Besides Affleck who is obviously the horse to beat, he is also running against very good horses there,” said Lam who purchased Know Each Other for A$90,000 at the Inglis Ready2Race sale last year.
“I can only hope he will do his best. I’m taking him one step at a time, especially as he’s a late maturer being a November foal.
“We need to be patient with young horses and can only hope they improve with racing. Some of them improve faster than others, some of them improve slower.”
While his low haul (three wins from 130 runners) may be cause for concern, Lam’s hope for a brighter future rests in the injection of new blood to his stables, which were opened in 2011.
From the 32 horses in work, half of them owned between sister outfits, Happy Song Stable and Happy Life Stable, 18 are three-year-olds, including seven unraced. While Know Each Other is by far Lam’s best three-year-old, being the only one to have won thus far, the likes of Bring Money Home, Wonderful Era and A Lot In Hand have not been disgraced.
“I’m not rushing them, step by step and hopefully, they can turn into useful horses for their owners,” said Lam who oversaw one such unraced three-year-old at Tuesday’s barrier trials, Yellow Bird (fourth but more than eight lengths off the winner Zac Warrior).
“Like this one, Yellow Bird. I bought him in New Zealand for a very nice Hong Kong owner.
“He’s by a relatively new sire Remind. As he’s still very green and immature, I’m giving him all the time in the world to develop and hopefully he can make it as a stayer.”
Besides Know Each Other in Friday’s feature, Lam will be hoping Bring Money Home and Wonderful Era can frank their recent encouraging forms in their respective Friday and Sunday assignments, especially Bring Money Home.
Ridden by apprentice jockey Rueven Ravindra at his last start, the Mr Nancho three-year-old ran on well for second to Sky Eleven at monstrous odds of $403, but might have finished closer if he had not changed course in the home straight. Bring Money Home will this time be ridden by Oscar Chavez in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1200m, a sure pointer to the gelding’s chances.
Though Chavez has not ridden much for Lam of late, the pair used to combine a lot more often in Lam’s early days, and with prolific results, eight of his 21 career wins being provided by the Panamanian jockey.
“I’ve ridden eight winners for Steven. It’s good to get back on one of his horses,” said Chavez.
“This horse (Bring Money Home) worked well last week. I saw his last race when he ran second and I think he has a good chance, though Red Dawn will be hard to beat.”