It was sheer ecstasy for apprentice jockey Firdhaus Rafi when he led from start to finish to claim his first win in the $38,000 Kranji Stakes D Division 1 race (1400m).
Firdhaus, atop the Steven Burridge-trained galloper, pumped his fist in the air as he approached the winners’ circle, amidst cheers calling out his name from the crowd.
“I want to thank my boss Steve, as well as stable supervisors Saimee (Jumaat) and Richard Lim, for the faith they showed in me,” said the Singaporean jockey in between breaths.
“The boss said to ride hands and heels all the way. So I did exactly that.“When I saw the field was clear in front of me, I just went for it and am happy to finally get my first win.”
Burridge could not hide his pleasure at seeing the apprentice jockey finally break his duck.
“I’m so happy for the kid! Good for him,” said the Australian conditioner.
“He deserved every chance that came his way and I am glad he got his win today on Benji’s Empire.
“The horse definitely has it in him and it is no surprise to see him lead all the way today.”
Slight commotion in the stalls delayed the race for a while and when the gates opened, further trouble struck when Know Each Other dislodged his jockey Nooresh Juglall and continued on his journey riderless.
But upfront, it was all about Benji's Empire ($45). The King Charlemagne eight-year-old was quickest out of the gates and from then on, it was all about holding his pole position.
Xavio (Michael Rodd) was the early challenger, running just a couple of paces behind but fell away as the final straight approached. Towards the final 200m, Get Going (Manoel Nunes), Leadership (Barend Vorster) and Zac Command (Shafiq Rizuan) were all starting to challenge the race leader but Benji’s Empire did not cave in.
If there were to be a potential source of annoyance or even hazard, it was the riderless Know Each Other, who even though he was out of the race, was still galloping alongside Firdhaus’s mount and could still hamper him.
But luckily for the former aerospace student, it was a turbulence he shrugged off in the end to finally taste his first ever success, crossing the winning post 1 ¼ lengths ahead of second-placed Get Going with a winning time of 1min 22.7secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
Firdhaus’ first career win today helped to bring Benji’s Empire’s impressive career winnings to over $480,000.
