3 minute read

After a muted start to the new season, Singapore champion apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen came out of his shell to knock in a super race-to-race double with Sun Pioneer and Red Ant on Sunday.

The Malaysian youngster sprang back into the limelight with two perfect rides that earned accolades from all, especially from trainer Desmond Koh (Sun Pioneer) and Mok Zhan Lun (Red Ant).

After settling just off the leading bunch, Sun Pioneer ($47) came with a sustained finish to lower the colours of joint-favourite Distinctive Darci ($11) in the $80,000 Kranji Stakes C race over 1000m while Red Ant ($21) probably recorded the more fluent of the two wins courtesy of a devastating burst inside the last 200m of the next race, the $60,000 Class 4 Division 3 race over 1200m.

Wong, who claimed his first title after gradually breaking clear from his close tussle with Troy See in the fourth quarter to eventually win by a margin of five winners (31 winners all up), was delighted with the brace.

Even if he had to wait for Day 4 to visit the winner’s enclosure for the first time this year, Wong has already joined Mohd Firdaus and Zawari Razali at the head of affairs, all sitting on two wins with Firdaus on top on a better countback for seconds.

“It’s nice to finally ride a winner, and two is a bonus,” said the Malaysian rider, who is at his second full Singapore season.

“Sun Pioneer is a consistent horse. There was a nice tempo to the race and he was travelling nicely behind.

“In the straight, the favourite was in front and looked like he would win, but I didn’t give up. I shifted my weight around and my horse responded with a nice kick.”

A five-year-old by Nadeem, Sun Pioneer defeated Distinctive Darci (Alan Munro) by a neck with Super Six (Amirul Ismadi) third another 1 ¾ lengths away. The winning time was 59.52 seconds for the 1000m on Polytrack.

Distinctive Darci’s co-favourite Constant Justice (Gerald Mosse) travelled in the first few in the running, but never flattered when his rider asked for an effort, finishing fifth, three lengths off the winner.

“CC rode Sun Pioneer very well. He kept pushing even when the favourite looked like the winner,” said Koh, one of trainer David Hill’s apprentice jockey’s staunchest supporters last year.

“Sun Pioneer has won all his races over Polytrack. Today’s big weight (58.5kg) was not a big issue as he was over a short distance.

“He’s got some ability for sure, but I don’t have any big plans for him. Maybe one day, if he gets in at a low weight in a feature race, I may have a stab.

“But I will for now just keep him to such races over 1000m to 1100m. That is his forte.”

Sun Pioneer now boasts a handy record of six wins and eight placings for prizemoney in excess of $320,000 for his Macau-based owner Cheng Ting Kong.

As for Red Ant, a horse who has been running on at his latest outings, but has not scored since April, 2016 in a Class 4 race over 1200m, he looked to have the job ahead at the 300m when seemingly still battling behind runners, but once Wong peeled him to the outside, he suddenly put on wings on very foot to power home going away by 2 ¾ lengths from $12 favourite Classified (Michael Rodd) with Rich Fortune (Danny Beasley) third another head away.

The winning time was 1min 12.83 secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.

“The trainer told me not to be too far back, but he’s a bit of a funny horse and he dropped out to the rear,” said Wong.

“I just let him stride along and waited for the home straight. The trainer also told me not to give up on him as he will switch off when he finds daylight.

“I did exactly as he told and just kept pushing. He had a bit of a break and was fresh, he was too good in the end.”

Mok praised Wong’s composure even when things were not panning out the way they had anticipated.

“They went fast in front and he could not quite keep up, but CC didn’t panic. He rated the horse very well,” said the Singaporean handler.

“I hope the horse can maintain this form now that he has scored again. The owner Mr Choo (Thiam Huat) used to have a few horses, but that’s his only horse left now.

“It’s good for him to win a race early in the year.”

A five-year-old by Red Dazzler, Red Ant may not have set the world on fire, but without fanfare, has brought his record to five wins from 26 starts for stakes earnings close to the $180,000 mark for Mr Choo.