One race after the black armband-wearing Nooresh Juglall saluted on Siam Vipasiri in memory of the late Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha on Friday night, French jockey Olivier Placais followed suit on Little Big Man – even if it came in the Stewards’ room.

Srivaddhanaprabha is the owner of English Premier League football club Leicester City who tragically died in a helicopter accident in England last Saturday shortly after watching a match his beloved team drew with West Ham at the King Power stadium.

As a mark of respect for his good friend, fellow Thai and well-known Kranji racing identity Krit Chisatteni had four horses he manages under three stables race with jockeys wearing black armbands.

Little Big Man was one of them as was his fellow Falcon Racing Stable’s Love Me Tender, King Power Stable’s Foresto and Kajorn Petch Stable’s Raptor in the last race. Siam Vipasiri, who is raced by another Thai owner, the Pupetch Racing Stable, only joined as the fifth horse on the night itself.

Placais, who has now brought up four wins on Little Big Man (from a total of six wins), said he would have won fair and square if race-leader and favourite Melting Point (Barend Vorster) had not drifted out in the home straight, carrying him off at the same time.

“I would have won without the incident, 100%. Barend’s horse was carrying me off the track, and even if I didn’t stop riding, I lost a few lengths because of that,” said Placais.

“At the 200m, I even thought of going back to the inside, but I would have lost even more momentum if I did that.

“The margin was only a head. I was confident I could have the objection upheld.

“Little Big Man is a horse who runs for me. This is my fourth win on him.

“Lee (Freedman) has done a great job with him. The break (26 days) he gave the horse has helped him a lot.

“It’s also a moment tinged with sadness, as the owner (Falcon Racing Stable) is a good friend with the Thai owner who died last Saturday.”

Freedman was with Chisatteni among the first to propose the idea of honouring Srivaddhanaprabha on Friday night.

“It’s the least I could do for a supporter of Singapore racing. My sympathies to the family,” said the Australian handler.

Little Big Man ($43) always had Melting Point in his sights, and loomed as the only one who could take him down in the straight.

Melting Point hung on for dear life for about one furlong, but then started to go off under pressure, a fault which in the end proved costly. A head split the pair on the line with Melting Point in advance of Little Big Man, but the order was reversed after the protest hearing.

With that sixth win, Little Big Man is now around $10,000 short of the $300,000 mark for the Falcon Racing No 2 Stable.