Trainer Desmond Koh was beaming with delight after he brought up his first winner a lot earlier than at his last season courtesy of a narrow win by City Lad on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
The Singaporean had to wait until February 3 to saddle his first winner in 2012, Marathon Lad, who was immediately followed suit by Shopping List in the very next race. Both winners were ridden by Joao Moreira.
After the slow start, the floodgates suddenly opened up for Koh who racked up a four-timer a week later. He went on to finish 10th on the Singapore trainer’s premiership on 41 wins.
With that much-needed first win out of the way, Koh is now hoping more will follow in the new season that just got underway on New Year’s Day.
“It’s good to get that first win much earlier this year,” he said. “I can only hope it lingers on.
“City Lad is a nice horse, but still very inexperienced. He was a bit keen to go that distance, but he’s held on in the end.
“He’s the type of horse you cannot hold up. You just have to let him go and hope nobody can catch him.
“I told Tengku to just let him bowl along in front and he’s summed up the race very well. One more stride and the other horse would have got him, though.”
After being bustled up early to find the lead in the $75,000 Class 3 race over 1600m on Polytrack, City Lad was able to dictate terms from Flaneur (Greg Cheyne) and Getreel (Richard Lim) while favourite Sir Oakley (Danny Beasley) was seen drifting back to a midfield spot after being prominent early.
Rehaizat kept his mount on a loose bridle for most of the way, so much so the leading margin stretched to five lengths by the home turn. Sir Oakley was seen toiling away without really making ground while Flaneur was cutting no ice either.
City Lad looked all poised to score a comfortable victory until Superczar (Alan Munro) popped out of the pack to issue a strong challenge. For a fleeting second, it looked like Superczar could nab him as the margin just melted away, but City Lad just punched back on the rails to cling on by the skin of his teeth.
“I’m glad I was able to ride my first winner for my boss (Koh). This is a nice promising young horse and I think he can go even further later,” said Tengku, the 2012 champion apprentice jockey.
“Desmond told me he’s a horse you cannot restrain, or he will fight with you and run flat. All I have to do is just let him run and ride him for luck.
“He was always travelling on the bit. It was my intention to be quite far ahead at the top of the straight as I wanted to make them chase me, and hopefully he can hold on.
“As he had to burn some petrol to get to the front, he weakened out in the last bit, but he did just enough to get there in time.”
City Lad ($24), a four-year-old gelding by Elusive City, has now recorded five wins from 19 starts and has collected more than $250,000 in prizemoney for his connections, the KT Stable.
