French jockey Olivier Placais ended a long run without winners when he steered $127 outsider Thunder Cat with a late surge in the $60,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1000m on Friday night.
The last time Placais saluted was with Fortune Spirit, another longshot ($100) on September 18, and since then, he “has been chewing on the bit” to return to the winner’s circle as he said.
“It’s been a very frustrating time without winners. I’ve had a lot of seconds and just tonight in the first race, I thought Archer Company could win, but Sacred Crown got him on the line,” said Placais who has now reached 12 wins for the season.
“I just had to bide my time, even though I’m not getting the best rides. I try my best with the ones I get, but it’s not easy.
“Even this horse is pretty unpredictable. He won two in a row for Danny Beasley, but then his saddle slipped at his last start, which we can ignore.
“But over 1000m tonight, I thought it would be too short, but the leader (Sure Win) went fast and that set it up nicely for us.
“He ran on very strongly on the outside and finished over the top of them.
“I’m so glad I’ve finally won a race and I hope people won’t forget I’m still here and that I always ride every horse with the same vigour and determination, whether it’s in a Group 1 race or a Class 5 race.”
Favourite Lim's Sincere (Beasley) was being hailed the winner when he was the first to sweep past the weakening Sure Win, but he also showed his limitations and last-start winner Enthuse (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) could not show the same acceleration this time.
But Placais or “The Conductor” as he is affectionately known at Kranji was wielding his persuader to great effect on Thunder Cat, who responded with a withering burst at the 250m to finish in advance of the fast-finishing Mark Walker pair of Court Case (Shafiq Rizuan) and The Cosmos (Manoel Nunes). The winning time was 59.56 seconds for the 1000m on the Polytrack.
The win also gave trainer Alwin Tan (74 wins) a double that enhanced his chances of a first title even further as he now holds a seven-win buffer over next best, Patrick Shaw (67 wins).
“Can’t complain with the way things are going. I’m in the lead and the horses are in form,” said Tan.
“Olivier rode Thunder Cat very well. The fast pace suited him and Olivier launched him at the right time.”
Thunder Cat has now recorded four wins and five placings from 27 starts for stakes earnings in excess of $140,000 for the G-Star Stable.
Placais’ fortunes really did a turnaround on Friday night as he went on to double the score with a pick-up ride in the last race, the James Peters-trained Dreamweaver ($81) in the $60,000 Class 4 race over 1400m.
“When it rains, it pours. This horse won a very strong race tonight, which was quite surprising,” he said.
“It could have been three but Big Banker was very unlucky. We were stuck behind two horses from the 300m to the 200m and by the time I got out, it was too late.
“But a double is not bad. I can't complain!”
