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Troy See celebrated his first Singapore champion apprentice jockey title with three winners this week, the icing on the cake being his first Group win in the $175,000 Group 3 Colonial Chief Stakes (1600m) with Maximus on Sunday.
The Singaporean rider was already all but assured of a first title given his commanding lead (nine winners ahead of defending champion Wong Chin Chuen) on the ladder, but Sunday’s late flourish was a complete contrast of fortunes to last week’s anticlimactic events on other shores.
Representing Singapore at the Air Mauritius & Attitude International Jockeys’ Weekend (IJW) 2018 at the Champ de Mars racecourse in Mauritius last weekend, See was cruelly denied a dream birthday present shortly after he was first past the winning post aboard Ouzo.
Fellow Kranji jockey Nooresh Juglall, who was also there but representing his hometown of Mauritius, was ironically the one who objected against See for alleged interference, and after deliberation in the Stewards’ room, was handed the race instead.
However, See quickly put the bitter disappointment behind him with a three-star performance once he was back in his own backyard one week later, including a first 'black type' win for good measure.
After bagging a double on Friday night, courtesy of Young Keah Yong’s Gratus and Bruce Marsh’s Dragon High, his third win and overall 33rd winner, Maximus ($16) capped a most memorable season for See.
“I have to thank everyone who’s helped me throughout the year,” said See who graduates to the senior ranks from January 1 next year.
“Big thanks to Alwin Tan and the owners for the Group 3 win on Maximus. It’s a very nice way to wrap things up this season.”
See is the second apprentice jockey to win the Colonial Chief Stakes after Shafiq Rizuan won it twice in 2011 (when known as Proinn Construct Stakes) and 2012.
To pull off the big-race feat aboard his pet horse Maximus was even sweeter. See has partnered the US-bred five-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid at all his eight wins, including riding him to eighth place in the Group 1 Keeneland Korea Sprint in Seoul in September.
After breaking smartly from barrier one to vie for the lead with Saraab (Benny Woodworth) on his outside, Maximus eventually handed up the honours to the resuming Forever Young (Azhar Ismail).
The Singapore Guineas and Chairman’s Trophy winner then proceeded to stack up the speed, with Maximus not far astern in fourth place on the rails, and $14 favourite Circuit Land (Olivier Placais) whipping around to sit on the outside of Maximus.
Forever Young still led upon straightening, but the swoopers were chiming in. Circuit Land was the first to race past, and for a fleeting moment, looked like giving his French jockey a perfect farewell gift.
Momentarily crowded at the 350m, Maximus was in trouble, but burst through when the gap came up to go and upstage Circuit Land by half-a-length.
At his first try over the mile, Polytrack specialist Distinctive Darci (Vlad Duric) did well to finish third another two-and-three-quarter lengths away .
The winning time was 1 min 39.37 secs for the 1600m on the Polytrack.
Maximus has now taken his handy record to eight wins, one second and one third from 18 starts for total stakes earnings past the $470,000 mark for the IB Racing Stable.
“Alwin’s prepped the horse so well. Everytime he comes out, he puts on a show,” said See.
“When I rode him in Korea, I knew it wasn’t a very good performance, but that’s because he didn’t handle the track at all.
“It’s like throwing someone into a boxing ring when he’s just a karate kid, you know. It was a totally different ball game for him.
“On the Polytrack, he grows another leg but on that kind of sand track, he just wouldn’t stride out.”
Tan was at his second Colonial Chief Stakes win. He trained last year’s winner Nova Strike, who was, however, recently transferred to trainer James Peter after his last-start fourth in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy last month. The Nova Racing Stable-owned gelding was in the original Colonial Chief Stakes line-up in a bid to make it back-to-back, but was scratched before the race.
“We don’t have any other choice for Maximus, and it’s just nice that we have a Cup race at the end of the season,” said the local handler of his 35th winner this year, which puts him in 10th spot on the trainer’s premiership.
“I think it’s perfect for him. He loves the Polytrack and he won eight times on it.
“He can even fly home in a sprint (referring to his last start in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1100m on November 9), that surprised me.
“At the moment, I would think the New Year Cup is for him next.”