Champion jockey Manoel Nunes is not expecting fireworks from his bookings in the two Group races this Sunday, but like any rider, he keeps his fingers crossed.
The Brazilian ace is riding Nova Strike in the Group 3 Saas Fee Stakes (1400m) before he jumps aboard Leon in the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) two races later.
For a three-time Singapore champion jockey who has dominated the riding ranks in the last three years, Nunes has a fairly incongruous record in feature races.
His collection has kept increasing since his first season in 2013, from four (2013) to six (2014) and then eight (2015), but it plummeted to zero last year, even if he did rack up his third premiership title that season.
All up, the former six-time Macau champion jockey has won 20 Singapore Group races, including two this year, the Group 2 Merlion Trophy (1200m) and the Group 3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase (1800m), both with the same horse, Infantry.
But interestingly, he has won all in all only two Group 1 races, the Patron’s Bowl (1600m) and the Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m), both with Spalato in 2014.
One simple explanation for that apparent oddity is that such races tend to be the province of trainers like Patrick Shaw and Cliff Brown of late, and Nunes is not quite their go-to man.
When Alwin Tan swept all the big races with War Affair in 2014 and 2015, he booked Danny Beasley and Alan Munro.
Nunes is not one to lament over this state of affairs, just happy to have two big-race rides this Sunday even if they are not considered prime chances.
“They’re not top chances but they’re both in good form and I’m looking forward to Sunday,” he said.
“Between the two, Nova Strike is a horse I know much better, of course. I won five times on him and even if he’s lost his way a bit, he is a horse who always tries hard.
“He’s not a very big horse, but he has a big heart. The only thing about him is that he’s a horse you cannot hold back, you just have to let him find his own strides and not restrain him.
“He’s won seven races, but to me the best race he ran was when he ran a nose second to Debt Collector in the Jumbo Jet Trophy. It was a level-weight race and he showed he could measure up to that kind of horses on level terms.
“His last race in the Lion City Cup was not too bad. He got checked at the start and he overraced, but he did run on to finish fifth (to Lim’s Cruiser).
“I think the 1400m will suit him better.”
While the Red Giant four-year-old holds no secret for Nunes, he will be at his first association with Leon, a surprise entry in the third and last Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge for Michael Clements who already has the two-Leg winner, the unbeaten Countofmontecristo.
Leon, a son of Domesday, only opened his account at his fourth run, which was at Restricted Maiden level in a 1400m race on April 14 when ridden by Michael Rodd, and is now tackling the cream of the crop of his age group in a Group 1 race worth half-a-million dollars.
“I rode him in a barrier trial last Thursday. I just gave him an easy time out there,” said Nunes.
“He feels good and there’s nothing wrong with him, but to be honest, he faces a tough task against (stablemate) Countofmontecristo and Jupiter Gold at weight-for-age.
“But I watched the race he won, and he does have a nice turn of foot. I’d be happy if he can run a place.”
Nunes’ quest for a third Group 1 win may have to wait on paper, but in racing, stranger things have happened.
