Matthew Kellady did not need trainer Lee Freedman to put on his best used car salesman pitch when he came asking him to ride Mr Dujardin on Friday night.
The Malaysian jockey has fond memories of Mr Dujardin. The talented son of High Chaparral was his most unexpected first 2018 winner – and also Freedman’s - at his Kranji debut as an unraced in an Open Maiden race over 1600m on January 14.
He then lost the ride after two defeats, albeit not disgraced, especially the last one in March when just missing out by a head in a ding-dong battle with O’What A Feeling.
Six months later, the ride has come back full circle. Kellady was all excited to be reunited with a horse he calls “special”, in the $100,000 Kranji Stakes B race over 1600m on Polytrack.
“I’m very happy I got offered the ride back on Mr Dujardin. I suppose it’s because of the light weight of 53.5kgs, but that’s fair enough,” said the underrated jockey.
“Lee told me it was a prep run towards the El Dorado Classic, but I still hope he can win tomorrow!”
The Group 3 El Dorado Classic used to be the trial of choice for the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup when they were run three weeks apart. Their distances have both been dropped from 2200m to 2000m this year, and more pointedly, they are run seven weeks apart now, which does take away that Gold Cup prelude theme from the El Dorado, but which still maintains it as a warm-up run of sorts.
Having not sat on Mr Dujardin for a long time, Kellady has done due diligence in reacquainting himself with the four-year-old in trackwork. The engine was still there, but still not one you that can be run all sails out, he found out.
“I galloped him yesterday. He felt good, the same as before, but one thing that also remained the same is he’s still that horse you need to guide along,” said the experienced hoop.
“He’s not the type of horse you can leave alone, especially around bends. You need to get him to switch his legs, he’s no auto-pilot horse for sure.
“But once he’s on the right leg and he finds daylight, he just goes whoosh. Pretty much what he did at that first win!”
Kellady’s eyes lit up when he reminisced about that stunning first-up win from the clouds.
Going with his four unassuming barrier trials, most thought Mr Dujardin would probably need the run at his Singapore debut, Kellady and Freedman included.
The Oscar Racing Stable-owned galloper delivered one of the most eye-catching finishes of the year - certainly Oscar-worthy of such an award if there was one at the next Singapore Racing Awards night.
Stone motherless last at the home turn, Mr Dujardin was odds-on to beat only the ambulance home – and even then, some sceptics thought the ambo was at backable odds.
At the 400m, Mr Dujardin started to warm up nicely to the task on the outside, levelling up with the stragglers. Kellady still thought he would miss a podium spot, but to his wonderment, the $89 shot put on wings on every foot inside the last furlong to sail home towards what was a soft win in the end.
Granted the beaten brigade didn’t feature world-beaters, but it was a jaw-dropping performance that captured the imagination of many all the same.
“At the 300m, I didn’t even think he would run a place, but when he decided to go, he just went boom,” said Kellady.
“He’s got such big strides, he just went straight past them. I rode him twice again after that, and even if he didn’t win, he didn’t lose any marks either, but they put on other jockeys as he went towards tougher races.”
Other than at his first start under a different rider – Michael Rodd – when he easily accounted for a Class 4 Non Premier bunch in a 2000m race on March 23, Mr Dujardin has not really reproduced that same electric turn of foot of his debut.
But going on his last start when he ran on for a meritorious fifth to stablemate Mr Clint in the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) with Vlad Duric aboard, Kellady is hoping to find that old swagger back when he jumps on this Friday, even if there are some boxes he doesn’t tick.
“I think the 1600m might be a tad sharp for him. It’s a small field (nine), and if it’s a tactical race, it will be even harder for him,” he said.
“He is also going over Polytrack for the first time. I guess it’s a question mark, but he seems to work well enough on it.
“He will be up in class, but other than Dicton, the field is not overly strong. I’m hoping that with his low weight, he brings that devastating acceleration again, that would be nice.”
