The day that Singapore champion apprentice jockey A'Isisuhairi 'Harry' Kasim had long waited for finally arrived on Sunday when he claimed the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup aboard Wild Geese.
A'Isisuhairi, who took the Kranji scene by storm last year, emphatically running away with the title, has by contrast had a subdued start to the 2014 season, not helped by his diminishing claim to only one kilo, but one owner who has remained in his corner through thick and thin was Dr Tan of Jolie's Shinju fame.
With the liver surgeon keeping a solid supply of rides to A'Isisuhairi through his master Steven Burridge, many of them winning rides such as Wild Geese (two wins before the QEII Cup) himself, Devil's Cut and Neobium, the confidence in the Kelantan-born rider slowly ebbed back in to the point he had shot up this year's Singapore apprentice ladder in recent weeks to sit among the leading trio.
But a classic winner was the icing on the cake that A'Isisuhairi has always wished for the person who has often propelled him into many headlines. Dr Tan was indeed the one who provided him with his first Kranji winner in Kobe Top Gun in December 2012, and also lured him to a few rare appearances in Malaysia where he managed to claim the 1st Leg of the Carlsberg Cup with the doctor's Dark Matter last August.
All that, however, paled in comparison with the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which was not his first Group success as he had already won the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy with Trudeau last year, but the significance of the win for Dr Tan had the emotional rider choking for words at the presentation ceremony.
“I've always wanted to ride a Group winner for Dr Tan and I'm so glad I've done it today. This is really a special moment I'll never forget,” said the grateful rider, who was also giving apprentice jockeys a second big race win after fellow Kelantan rookie Zuriman Zulkifli snared the Group 3 Admiralty Classic Stakes with Knight's Command two races earlier.
“Dr Tan has been my biggest supporter since I started to ride in Singapore. He's always believed in me and this is my own way to repay him.
“This horse has been good to me and today is my fourth win with him, and more importantly, this one in a Group 2 race. He's a really tough horse and never disappoints me.
“I thought Cash Luck would go forward, but when I was caught three wide early, I was happy to cross as I didn't want to be caught wide throughout.
“Nobody took me on and he travelled beautifully for me. At the top of the straight, I got him balanced and all I wanted to do was to let him know he had to win the race.
“I was a bit worried something would catch me from behind, but he just kept going all the way to the line.”
The manner in which Wild Geese was able to get away with cheap sectionals for most of the 10 furlongs certainly had his nine rivals left with an uphill task from the 1000m mark. Most were caught napping by the pedestrian pace established, with only backmarker Martin (Danny Beasley) deciding to throw down the gauntlet from the 800m when he circumnavigated the field for a surprise attack, but he soon fizzled out of contention upon straightening when Wild Geese was set alight, leaving his pursuers off the bridle.
Of the two joint $18 favourites Johnny Guitar (Barend Vorster) and Tropaios (Manoel Nunes), the former, who settled closer to the pace in midfield on the rails, was the one who did put an indent into the margin as he clocked the fastest sectionals inside the last 600m, but the Goose was home and hosed.
Vorster was rueing a case of what might have been for the defeated Johnny Guitar, who had been a trip query, but proved in no uncertain terms he could stay.
“The tempo was just too slow at the start,” said the South African hoop.
“It was too easy for the first horse (Wild Geese) to get to the front and he was never put under any pressure by the others. But it was a great effort from my horse and he gave me a great ride still.”
Unsuited by the jogging pace, Tropaios never got into his rhythm when he attempted to leave the ruck to eventually finish a disappointing eighth, more than six lengths off the winner. Recent JBBA Moonbeam Vase (1800m) winner Cash Luck (John Powell) was also foiled by the slow pace, unable to turn up the heat after tracking up Wild Geese from the outset.
As for Stepitup (Ivaldo Santana), the boom on the Singapore Three-Year-Old champion is starting to wear off with yet another defeat at Group level – his third in a row, though he again had excuses after being caught wide from an awkward alley. The son of Hussonet was flat-footed for most of the way, but did close in late for fifth around 2 ½ lengths off Wild Geese.
One of the pleasant surprises of the race was Japanese four-year-old mare Bendicion (David Flores), who enjoyed the run of the race in the box-seat before plugging on solidly for third, beaten only a nose for second, no doubt a strong trial run for the Emirates Singapore Derby (2000m) in three months' time.
Wild Geese, an Exceed And Excel five-year-old who went off at lukewarm odds of $54, recorded the time of 2min 2.61secs for the 2000m journey and has now taken his imposing record to five wins and four placings from 16 starts for prizemoney in excess of $700,000 for Dr Tan's Hippocrates Stable.
While it was all about A'Isisuhairi's well-deserved return to the big time, Wild Geese's victory also gave Burridge a third hurrah in the Group 2 event. He famously first won the race before Her Majesty the Queen herself in 2006 with King And King before doubling the dose two years later with Trigger Express.
“Harry rode him beautifully. He used his head to go forward instead of ending up three wide,” said the Australian handler.
“As the pace eased off, he went in front. It was a great winning ride.
“This horse has been ultra-consistent since Dr Tan brought him to us from England. He has a good agent in Jim Ryan who selects his horses there.
“I'd also like to thank Mick Lockett who from Day 1 does all the hard work on this horse. He rides him in all his trackwork and thoroughly deserves today's success as well.”
The QEII Cup triumph capped a red-letter day for Burridge as he later went on to saddle two more winners, Benji's Empire (Troy See) and Usain Colt (Corey Brown) to bring up his haul to four winners after opening proceedings with Invictus in the first race, the latter also ridden by the hero of the day, A'Isisuhairi.
