When leading jockey Manoel Nunes left home last Saturday with a strong book of rides and sitting on 91 wins for the season, the Brazilian was thinking with only three meetings left in 2023, a few winners would edge him closer to the magical ton.
They say racing can be a cruel game and after managing only two placings from nine rides, Nunes still sits on 91 wins with only two meetings to go in what will be the last full year of racing in Singapore.
The task to reach 100 wins now looks (almost) impossible, as the soon to be five-time Singapore champion jockey would need to win close to every second race left. But that is not stopping Nunes from having a red-hot crack on Sunday.
“Of course I’m still aiming for 100 wins,” said the jockey who has passed 100 winners in a season twice previously in 2014 (108 wins) and 2015 (123 wins).
“It’s always something to strive for. But honestly, when I left home last week I thought I had such a good book of rides I would get a few winners – maybe more – and have a chance to reach 100 wins with another two meetings left.
“So I was very disappointed, but that’s horse racing! And now I have made my job to reach 100 very tough but you never know. I have 11 rides on Sunday and maybe I can get lucky this time and have a chance at the last meeting.”
Of Nunes’ 11 rides, six are for trainer Richard Lim, including the smart Super Salute who looks one of the main chances in the feature race of the day, the $100,000 Class 1 event over 1400m.
“I think he has a very good chance of winning,” said Nunes of the five-year-old son of I Am Invincible.
“In hindsight, I think he (Super Salute) wasn’t suited dropping back so quickly from 1400m (Class 2 race on 14 October) to the 1200m of the (Group 3) Merlion Trophy (28 October). And the barrier (10) didn’t help us either.
“So we gave him a 10-day break after the Merlion (Trophy) and I thought his trial the other day was very good (finished second to Golden Monkey in trial no 3 on 7 December).
“I rode him in pace-work Tuesday and he felt good. He is a tough horse and always tries 100%. He has drawn well too (barrier three), which is important in what looks a very good field.
“Golden Monkey has drawn wide but they will probably ride him quiet and he is a big danger. As is Silent Is Gold who carries no weight (49.5kgs) with the claim.
“It’s an open race but I will concentrate on my horse, who I think ticks a few boxes.”
Of his other rides for Lim, Nunes is hoping Southern Speed can continue on his good run of form in the lucky last, a $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m on the Polytrack.
“He always tries this horse,” he said of the six-year-old son of I Am Invincible.
“I think he should have won last start (Class 4 race over 1200m). He has drawn wide (nine) but that’s OK on the Polytrack and I think he will go close.”
Nunes is also looking forward to being reunited with the Tim Fitzsimmons-trained Black Storm in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1400m, a horse he rode to win on debut (Restricted Maiden over 1400m on 30 July) when named Roman Chief.
“Look, I rode this horse twice when he was with (ex-Kranji trainer) Mike (Michael Clements) and I’m looking forward to riding him again,” said Nunes of the one-time winner by Caravaggio.
“He won first time out and the gate (12) beat him at his next start (Novice event over 1400m on 27 August). He moved to Tim and looks in very good form and felt good when I rode him in a trial the other day (finished third in trial no 2 on 7 December).
“He carries less weight (55kgs) in Class 4 than he did in the Novice races (58kgs) and I think from the good barrier (four) over 1400m on Sunday, he will go very close to winning.”
As you would expect, most of Nunes mounts look like winning chances and that includes a maiden in Bintang Sixty-One who gets his chance in what looks a weak $20,000 Open Maiden race over 1600m.
“They all (races) count and I hope (trainer) James’ (Peters) horse can win for me,” he said of the Irish-bred son of Cotai Glory.
“He’s (Bintang Sixty-One) knocking on the door and has a good barrier (five). Lim’s Everest looks the hardest to beat but the race doesn’t have much depth and I think we should go very close.”
Regardless of the winning tally on Sunday, Nunes is happy to reflect on what has been a very good year in the saddle.
“I’m very competitive and 100 wins would be nice but at the end of the day, it has been a very successful season” he said.
“We only race once a week in Singapore, so to even get this close is a big achievement for me. So whatever happens in the next two meetings, I’m very happy with my year.”
