Newly-licensed apprentice jockey Nizar Mohammad was all smiles after he rode his first winner Silent Arrow at his eighth career ride on Friday night.
At 32, the Sembawang resident and father of four (with a fifth on the way next year), may not be your typical freshman out of a jockeys’ academy, but he certainly has the raw ability that can bring him success in his chosen career path, even if he is a late starter.
Indentured to former eight-time Singapore champion jockey-turned trainer Saimee Jumaat, the mature apprentice jockey had Silent Arrow ($70) travelling in a handy spot in the opening event, a $20,000 Class 5 race over 1200m, behind the pace set by Larson (Simon Kok Wei Hoong) before he peeled him three wide for his challenge inside the last 300m.
Racing Talent (Koh Teck Huat) and Larson locked horns for a few strides, with Fighting Warrior (Troy See) trying to squeeze in between from behind, but they had not reckoned with Silent Arrow’s superior finish – and Nizar’s determination to finally have that first taste of success.
Previously trained by ex-Kranji trainer Steven Lam who prepared him to all his previous four wins at Kranji, Silent Arrow, a seven-year-old by Red Arrow, swept past Racing Talent and Larson quite easily, but had to dig deep to fend the fast-closing Phidias (Tengku Rehaizat) off by a head, with Fighting Warrior third another length away. The winning time was 1min 13.22secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.
“It’s an awesome feeling. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a while,” said Nizar who had not finished too far from the winning post at some of his previous seven rides, with two thirds and one fourth.
“I ride this horse in trackwork and it’s my first time riding him in a race. I took the initiative to check his past races, and I have to admit I didn’t give him much of a chance tonight.
“But he was in a good spot in the race and was travelling very well for me. Turning for home, he responded very nicely and at the 100m, I was quite confident I could win my first race!
“A big thank you to Saimee for his guidance. He’s been supporting me with rides and I’m glad I’ve won on one of them tonight.”
Unlike Saimee, the son of a syce who grew up in the old Bukit Timah kampung or Yusoff Fadzli, Saimee’s other apprentice jockey, a Malaysian rider (with previous wins scored up North) and son of a syce, who had already opened his account with Taro San on September 28, Nizar has zero connections with racing.
“I don’t come from a racing family. It’s during my National Service in the Civil Defence that my O.C (Officer in Command) told me I had the height to become a jockey,” said Nizar.
“I then joined the STAR (Singapore Training Academy for Racing) programme in 2010 and haven’t looked back since.
“I’ve still got a long way to go, but that win will give me more confidence now.”
