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Kranji jockey Mohd Zaki celebrated the biggest thrill of his riding career when he secured his first Group success aboard the Hideyuki Takaoka-trained Keep Away in the $200,000 Group 3 Committee’s Prize (1600m) on Sunday.

With career opportunities restricted to run-of-the-mill rides supplied in majority by Takaoka, his former mentor when still an apprentice, the 32-year-old jockey could count on the fingers of one hand how many times he had been booked in feature events.

But when Takaoka gave Zaki the nod for the ride on Keep Away in the "black-type" race last week, the young man from Kelantan more than repaid the trust placed in him.

At barrier rise, Zaki, who has somehow built a solid reputation as a good judge of pace from the front, bounced the noted frontrunner straight to the lead in a 14-horse field that boasted handy horses like Gingerbread Man, Flying Fulton, Deep Pockets, Flax and so on.

Speedy customers Won’t Stop (Tengku Rehaizat) and Freezemaster (Koh Teck Huat) did level up alongside him for most of the backstraight up to the home turn, but Zaki kept his cool and allowed his mount to hold his pole position.

Upon straightening, Won’t Stop and Freezemaster were already spent forces and quickly fell away, but Keep Away was still full of running as he started to lengthen up once Zaki slipped some reins.

After being smothered away in an ideal spot on the rails in fifth, second favourite Speedy Cat (Ivaldo Santana) at that moment looked like he would be Keep Away’s biggest danger, but the hardy Japanese-bred seven-year-old by Air Jihad did not stop and stoutly held his ground inside the last furlong.

Strong finisher The Comedian (Danny Beasley) did make the race interesting when he loomed up late, but Keep Away had already given them the slip as he hit the line with 1 ¼ lengths to spare. Speedy Cat had every chance but did not quicken when required, to settle for third another nose away.

The winning time was 1min 35.2secs for the 1600m journey on the Long Course.

Keep Away, who paid $63 for a win, was not at his first time turning giant-killer, but had slipped under the radar of late before finally showing a glimpse of his old form at his last two runs.

A veteran of 58 previous starts, Keep Away has enjoyed his fair share of wins (11) in his five seasons at Kranji, but did not quite rise to the occasion whenever he was tested at Group level. He even raced in the Group 1 Kranji Mile last year but was soundly beaten by Better Than Ever.

Zaki for one harboured a silent hope the Suzuka Racing Stable-owned galloper could spring a surprise if he had things his way in front this time around.

“I know this horse very well. I won three times on him and I’m the one who ride him in trackwork every day,” said Zaki, whose younger brother Jailani is now apprenticed to Takaoka.

“Mr Takaoka only told me to go to the front and get him to relax as much as possible. I was able to get a fairly soft lead in front and at the top of the straight, I still had a lapful of horse under me.

“I could feel the other horses coming to me, but I just put my head down and rode him to the line. It was only when he reached the 200m mark that I started to believe I could win my first Group race.”

Zaki, who is not accustomed to such post-race media attention, was for once basking in the limelight at the Group race prize presentation – his first in a career that began more than 10 years ago with trainer Tan Hor Khoon.

“It’s my first Group win. I did ride once for Len Treloar in a Group race, but this is my first win,” said Zaki, who like many of his peers in the local riding ranks, feels more comfortable on a saddle than in front of a microphone.

“I would like to thank Mr Takaoka who has always helped me and today he supported me with a good ride in a Group race.

“I was first apprenticed to HK Tan and then Malcolm Thwaites, but when Mr Thwaites went to Macau, I joined Mr Takaoka and I’ve been with him since.

“I would also like to dedicate this win to my family and relatives back home.”

Takaoka said the handicap conditions of the Group 3 race suited his charge, but also lauded Zaki’s faultless ride as a major part in the success, his first Group win since the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup captured by his just-retired hero El Dorado last November.

“He’s usually an outsider in such races, but he is a good handicapper and the race suited him,” said the Japanese handler.

“He was able to go to the front from his good gate (No 1) and it was a very good ride by Zaki as well.

“Even though there were many Group 1 winners in that race, Zaki never panicked and rode him like the best horse in the race.

“I don’t have any plans for this horse. Just find a similar race for him, but no, he is not a Gold Cup horse.”

Takaoka, who was dealt a big blow last week when he had to retire his triple Singapore Gold Cup winner El Dorado following an injury sustained in trackwork, said the Committee’s Prize did offer some consolation for the immeasurable loss. The Japanese-bred stayer was being aimed at a fourth tilt at the 2,200m classic in November, but with those plans and any future racing curtailed, he is being sent to Japan (pending quarantine approval) by his owner Masa Otani for a well-earned retirement.

“The last week was tough. At least this win will bring some smiles back in the stables,” he said.