Jockey Bernardo Pinheiro knocked in his 600th career win in the saddle last Sunday after Sacred Judgement won the $50,000 Infantry 2017 Stakes, a Class 4 race over 1600m.
But the popular Brazilian will not be resting on his laurels and is hungry to add to that tally this Sunday.
Given his recent form and a strike rate of 18.85% this year, Pinheiro does have a strong book of rides. He hopes that a drop back in trip can see Cosmic Dancer get the job done in the highlight race of the day, a $70,000 Class 3 race over 1000m on the Polytrack.
The promising three-old-old by Vancouver battled away to finish fifth behind Pacific Emperor over 1200m in Class 3 company on June 24, but given his hat-trick of Class 4 wins prior were all over 1100m, the 1000m trip on Sunday looks ideal.
Pinheiro was on board at his three recent wins and his last-start fifth. While this field looked strong on paper, he believes that the now Richard Lim-trained sprinter can show he is more than competitive in this company.
“He’s fresh on the track and I think he will go well,” said the well-travelled 27-year-old of Cosmic Dancer’s chanaces.
“The 1200m tested him last start. His three wins for me were all over 1100m, so the 1000m on Sunday looks very suitable.
“Yes, it is a good field – Akhtar, Major King and Sacred Gift are down in grade and they look like strong opposition – but I believe he (Cosmic Dancer) will run well in this Class.
“Hopefully, we draw a nice gate and he should be more than competitive.”
Pinheiro will also be hoping Cheval Magnifique draws a good barrier in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1200m after he raced wide throughout from gate 10 in the same company on July 15 over 1000m.
“A better gate would be nice,” quipped the jockey, who will be based in Dubai from November.
“He shows me quality in the mornings and I know he will go well in Class 4, but the wide gate (10) made it impossible at his last start over 1000m.
“It will be his first time on the turf and he is a US-bred (x El Kabeir), so that (turf) is a query, but he obviously races well on the Poly(track) and gave me the feeling that he can handle the turf.”
Elsewhere on the card, Pinheiro thought that two horses with their respective “hoof on the till” are Blue Idol, who lines up in the $30,000 Class 5 race over 1600m) and Tantheman, who will run in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden race over 1400m.
“They are due and both have found winnable races,” he said.
“I ran third on Blue Idol (x Orpen) three starts back in a similar race (finished third to Fate To Win in a Class 5 race over 1600m on April 23) and he went close last start over the same trip too (finished third to Red Dragon in another Class 5 race on July 8 when ridden by apprentice jockey Rozlan Nazam).
“He (Blue Idol) deserves to win another race and I think he has a good chance.
“I haven’t ridden Tantheman (x Smart Missile) at the races, but he is very close to winning. He just missed at his last start over 1200m in a Restricted Maiden race (beaten a head into second by City Gold Telegram) and he will probably start as favourite.
“He deserves to break the duck and it would be good to win another race for (trainer) Jerome Tan after he gave me my 600th win last week.”
After Pinheiro’s good friend and trainer Ricardo Le Grange supplied him with his 599th winner in Bestseller when he won the Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m on Sunday, it was Tan that legged Pinheiro up for his milestone win.
“I missed it with Silo (ran second to Greatham Boy in the Group 3 Golden Horseshoe), but it was a great day to ride a double and get my 600th win,” said the jockey, who rode his first winner (Iniesta) as a 16-year-old back in 2013 in his hometown.
“To get it for Jerome on Sacred Judgement was pleasing too as that was his (Sacred Judgement) third straight win for me.
“And Ricardo is my biggest supporter and a good friend since I came to Singapore. We exercise and have coffee together – he’s a really nice guy and a very good company.
“I must thank all the trainers who supported me, especially Steven Burridge who helped me a lot when I moved here.
“It took me over 10 years to ride 600 winners. I rode 418 winners back home (Brazil), one in Bahrain, one in Uruguay and 93 in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), then 50 in Malaysia and Sacred Judgement was my 37th in Singapore.
“It has been a journey, and I have also been lucky enough to ride Group winners in most places I have ridden. I was very close to winning a Group race in Singapore – Silo was another second placing for me – so I really want to tick that box next.”
By Larry Foley, Singaore Turf Club
