It may have been a modest $35,000 Class 5 race over 1200m but the smiles One O Nine’s flying win brought on trainer Tan Hor Khoon’s and jockey Koh Teck Huat’s faces were priceless.
Wins have been few and far between for the battling duo, but when they combine for another precious notch to their win tally, they can certainly take the next week ahead with a bit of a spring in their steps.
Tan was posting his ninth win for the season – which would be halfway through last season’s more prolific haul of 18 wins while Koh was again chipping away through another tough year, even if he has already bettered last year’s score of four wins, having now hit six wins with a horse who has been a bit of a special ally in the last two years.
The Magic Albert five-year-old has now been partnered by Koh at 17 of his 28 starts with his three wins all recorded with the former Laurie Laxon apprentice jockey in the plate.
Koh said One O Nine had been working a treat coming into his latest outing, with the relatively small field of nine runners (after Peregrine Falcon was withdrawn) giving him some hope the easier traffic could pave the way to a return to winning ways.
Plotting a wide course in the second half for most of the 1200m journey, but only less than two lengths off the lead, One O Nine ($56) looked to be running into the ground when he dropped to last to see them all 500m from home.
But Koh had not woken his mount yet. As he angled him to the outside, One O Nine conjured up the best turn of foot, albeit with an inclination to hang in. Cassis Oolong (Alan Munro) was being hailed the winner when he went for home at the 300m, but well controlled by Koh, One O Nine finished a shade better to score with half-a-length to spare.
Always A Winner (Nooresh Juglall) ran third another 1 ½ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 13.12secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.
“He was quite unlucky at his last start. He has been working quite well and TH Koh rode him very well tonight,” said Tan.
“I think the longer trip also helped him. Once he got clear room on the outside, he ran on very well.
“He’s a horse who is not the soundest as he has tendon issues, but we’ve managed those problems the best we could, and it’s good to see him win for the owners (Happy Happy Stable) tonight.
“TH helps me a lot with trackwork. He works hard and deserves to win a race.”
Koh was as usual rather discreet upon weighing in, just happy to bump up his score given the fierce competition prevailing in the riding ranks these days, especially among local riders.
“I haven’t won a race since August (27). It was Super Ball for Ah Khoon as well,” said Koh.
“Thanks to Ah Khoon and the owners for keeping me on this horse. I know One O Nine very well and tonight, he quickened very well once he saw daylight on the outside.
“It was also a small field, and even though they looked like they were running away from him, once he balanced up, he ran on very strongly.”
With that third success, One O Nine has taken his stakes earnings around the $80,000 mark for the Happy Happy Stable.
