Trainer Mark Walker put down his phenomenal Singapore premiership-winning season to “better quality” of horses as he brought up a race-to-race double with two debutants, Court Case and Viviano, to take his score to 84 wins on Friday night.
The final tally could well swell further with seven races to go and another 11 on Sunday, but Walker, a five-time champion trainer in New Zealand, knew he was beyond reach for a while now and could afford to pop the champagne as he sealed his first Singapore title since he moved to Kranji in 2010 with “only three horses”.
“(Assistant-trainer) Gus (Clutterbuck) and I won five premierships back home and to come here with three horses and slowly build up to the position we are at now and win the premiership here at my fifth season, it’s very satisfying,” said Walker.
“We’ve had a fantastic season and I was also lucky to have (Manoel) Nunes and Shafiq (Rizuan) helping us throughout the season.
“I think the key to our success this year is the quality of horses we’ve had. Horses like My Lucky Strike, Jimmy Rea, Sebrose, when they win, they keen winning whereas before our horses were not as consistent.
“But the one thing we’ve always had at the stable is the team effort. We have worked hard throughout the year, just like previous years, but we’ve just had better horses this time.
“To have two young horses win for us tonight is also a sign the future is looking bright next year. We’ve taken our time with those new horses and they are the ones who will be the torchbearers into 2016 and beyond.”
Walker said both Court Case ($37) and Viviano ($16) had trialled well leading up to their debuts, but he probably derived the bigger kick from the former’s all-the-way win under Oscar Chavez in the $65,000 Initiation race over 1200m.
“Court Case would not have raced if not for John Pepe (starter) and Oscar. They are magicians!” said Walker in deep appreciation of the two horsemen’s talents with difficult horses.
“He’s been a really difficult horse to train, especially at the barriers and Oscar has spent a lot of time educating him.
“He was not 100% tonight as had just the one trial and he got a bit tired at the end. He’s by Star Witness and is a pure sprinter and I’m sure he’ll improve from that run.”
Though they have not teamed up before, Walker has already pledged more support to Chavez now that their first association has struck instant paydirt.
“Oscar is a fearless horseman, another jockey would have run away if asked to ride this horse. I don’t often use him but to thank him for his hard work, I’ve rewarded him with two rides tonight and another four on Sunday.
“He’s only got a three-month licence for next year. I will definitely help him with rides next year as he is as good a jockey as any here.”
The Panamanian-born hoop jokingly said Court Case was more a “nut case” but teaching those rogues is something he gladly accepts whenever his taming skills are required. He did not fail to mention the one that got away last week, Professor X, whom he schooled as well, but scored without him as he was in Mauritius taking part in a jockeys’ challenge.
“I’ve lost the winning ride on Professor X but not this one,” he said gleefully on weighing back to scales.
“This horse is very temperamental. John and I have spent a lot of time with him at the barriers. Whatever he did tonight, he can only improve as he was not at his peak yet.
“I trialled him in a 400m jumpout once and I knew he had ability, but he was just too headstrong.
“I even rang Antonio da Silva from Mauritius to tell him how to ride him at his barrier trial. I’m glad all this work has paid off tonight, more so when it was my first ride for Mark.”
Ridden by Alan Munro, Viviano, a four-year-old by Keeper, matched motors with stablemate The Cosmos (Ng Choon Kiat) for most of the 1000m journey of the $60,000 Class 4 Division 1 race. He was headed halfway up the straight, but fought his way back to prevail by a short head on the line for a Walker 1-2.
