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Kirks Ryker handed trainer Ricardo Le Grange and champion apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen their first winning combination on Monday.
Lined up in the Hari Raya meeting’s highlight, the $100,000 Open Benchmark 83 race over 1400m, the English-bred gelding was given a perfect ride by last year’s Singapore champion apprentice. He never lost his cool even after they got off to a less than ideal start, when they got at the rough end of a bit of buffeting upon jumping.
Wong dropped Kirks Ryker to last as the 11-horse field settled into their strides, but the new pairing gradually improved along the rails to take a beautiful cart behind stablemate Winning Cause (Nooresh Juglall) right up till the point of the turn.
Upfront, the blinkered Eclair Choice (John Powell) tried to pinch a break at the top of the straight, but those memories of his Group 2-winning days in Melbourne were starting to fade as he soon showed the white flag.
First to collar the weakening leader was the well-fancied Hip Hip Hooray (Vlad Duric) while Winning Cause, Hermano Menor (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) and Ares (Amirul Ismadi) were also chiming in.
But they had not reckoned with Kirks Ryker ($50), who after enjoying a ground-saving run as well as the sting out of the ground, clearly had plenty of ticker left as he was angled for his run at the 300m.
Hip Hip Hooray fought back but Wong’s mount outsprinted him to go and grab the thicker end of the prizemoney. Hip Hip Hooray confirmed his recent third place in the Group 3 Saas Fee Stakes (1400m) to take second place another length away with Ares third another half-a-length away.
Singapore Guineas winner Forever Young (Benny Woodworth), who was making his racing comeback since his stellar Group 1 win one month ago, was never a threat. After being trapped three deep from his wide barrier, the US-bred three-year-old compounded in the run home to finish ninth more than eight lengths off the winner. The winning time was 1min 21.91secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
But all honours to Le Grange and Wong for their astute first win.
“I opted for CC Wong to get the extra kilo off. In racing, a kilo is a kilo and it can make a big difference,” said Le Grange.
“Kirks Ryker is a smart horse and he has been knocking on the door for a while. The rain didn’t do his chances any harm either.
“In the straight, I was probably riding harder than CC from the stands. They went a bit early, and it was a great ride by CC as this horse can take a hold at times.
“It’s also great to train a winner for the Team Cheval and Eric Koh. They are classy people.”
Wong was quick to thank Le Grange for entrusting him with such a quality ride.
“It’s my first winner for Ricardo,” said the Penang-born rider.
“I just listened to what he told me, let the horse travel where comfortable. I got a bit of a squeeze at the start, but in the straight, once he saw daylight, he kicked clear for a very nice win.
“I think he also enjoyed the rain and the wet track today.”
With that sixth success, Kirks Ryker has taken his stakes earnings past the $360,000 mark for the Team Cheval Stable.