Back in March, apprentice jockey Zuriman Zulkifli was struggling to remember things, the aftermath of serious head injuries sustained in a race fall from Hammer Down, with his future as a rider just as blurred as his mind.
Seven months later, he defied the odds by returning to the saddle. And now, there is no way he will not remember his first winner back, befittingly, a horse trained by his master Bruce Marsh, Murdoch.
It didn’t bother him much that the $353 smokie actually dead-heated with Jubilation (Syafiq Hazman) in the $38,000 Panasonic Innovation Stakes, a Kranji Stakes D Division 2 race over 1400m.
To the Kelantan-born 30-year-old rider, a win or half-a-win was immaterial; it was all about the joy of reliving a moment he had not tasted since December 4, 2015 aboard Lucky Lincoln.
“I’m very happy to ride my first winner back. It’s been a very long time and here I have to thank my boss Mr Marsh for his support throughout my injury,” said Zuriman.
“I hope I will get more support after that first win. My fitness is 100% and my confidence is back.
“It took me two to three weeks of trackwork and trials to get fit and even when I returned to race-riding, I felt a bit weak at the first couple of rides, but I’m all good now.
“I rode this horse at his first start and he felt more like a stayer, not a sprinter. Today, when he found daylight, he hit the line very good, but he will be even better over more ground.”
Jubilation ($35) looked to have the race in his keeping when he swept past Horse Warrior (Glen Boss), but Murdoch came with a rattling run on the outside to finish locked together with the Shane Baertschiger-trained gelding.
The photo finish showed they could not be split by the judges. Zuriman could jubilate, but ironically, not quite Jubilation’s connections after Shafiq Rizuan (Brahms And Liszt) objected for interference at the 300m. Luckily for him, it was overruled in the Stewards’ room and the result stood.
Horse Warrior ran third another three parts of a length away. The winning time was 1min 22.86secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.
