Veteran jockey Saifudin Ismail may not ride very often for trainer Laurie Laxon, but the occasional pairing still came up with a Group win last year.
Now Saifudin hopes to repeat the feat with Daniel this Sunday.
Saifudin rode Makkura to victory in the Group 3 Paititi Gold Trophy (1200m) for Laxon last year.
The 50kg handicap was the main reason the New Zealand mentor picked Saifudin, who had never ridden the mare before.
The 46-year-old Malaysian lightweight rider got the nod again when Makkura was allotted the same luxury load in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1400m) later in the year, but they could only finish fourth this time.
Makkura has since left Laxon for the Mark Walker yard and the Saifudin-Laxon pairing has been few and far between.
But Laxon does not forget a good rider, lightweight or not. Back in May in the last Leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m) where all the runners were on level weights, he could have picked a more fashionable jockey for Daniel, but took a chance on Saifudin again.
It nearly paid off as the Guillotine grey got his spark back to beat all but the mighty War Affair. Loyalty is still not a vain word in racing as Laxon has not taken Saifudin off since.
Two wins in a row have followed to repay Laxon’s faith in Saifudin, first in an Open race over 1400m and a Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m, both on relatively low handicaps. Weight-for-age conditions see Daniel carry 57.5kg in this Sunday’s Group 3 Jumbo Jet Trophy (1400m), but Laxon, who also saddles his other smart four-year-old Goodman, is not changing a winning formula.
Given the tough competition in the jockeys’ room, Saifudin is glad the eight-time Singapore champion trainer does not have short-term memory.
“I’m very thankful to Laurie and the owner, the Oscar Racing Stable for the opportunity,” said Saifudin.
“After I finished second on Daniel in the Guineas, they could have put another jockey on at his next races, but they have stuck with me.
“Getting on top of a good horse is so hard these days, and Daniel is definitely a very good horse.”
Saifudin, who has thrown his leg over some good sorts like Lim’s Classic (Group 1 Raffles Cup), Ghozi (Group 3 Kranji Sprint) and more recently Emerald Hill, is hoping for a good barrier in the Jumbo Jet Trophy.
“I worked him on the Polytrack on Saturday and I was quite happy with him. He was not blowing at all after his work,” he said.
“He worked with Goodman (Corey Brown) and they finished together to the line.
“Hopefully, he gets a good draw. It’s a tough field, but if he gets some cover, it’ll be much better for him.”
Laxon was also in good spirits ahead of Sunday’s feature, a race he has captured four times – Saddle Up (2002), Waikato (2008 and 2009) and Better Than Ever (2010).
“They’re both good. They both had a freshen-up and have been working well,” said Laxon. “I tried to split them up but that race is just too good to miss for both.
“This will be their biggest test as it’s a weight-for-age race, but I think they’ll cope. They’ll be right.
“It’s a race I’ve had a bit of luck with, and hopefully I can do it again for a fifth time.”
