Trainer Jason Ong is set to secure the 2023 champion trainer title as the season concludes next Saturday, 30 December.
At 35 years old, the young Singaporean has been considered the likely winner by most observers for a significant portion of the season. Mathematically, his sparring partner and last year’s champion trainer, Tim Fitzsimmons, had a chance to swoop, but Ong’s double on December 17, which took his tally to 66 wins for the year, widened the gap to 11.
Alas, for Fitzsimmons, who remained winless on the same day, and reportedly with only eight or nine runners on the final day, the chance to pull off the unimaginable feat of ‘training the card’ slipped away. As a result, Ong can now breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the festive season, secure in the knowledge that his name will be engraved in Singapore racing history as a champion trainer.
“The fight with Tim was so close for a while. It was challenging, satisfying and motivating to push each other – it was fun really.” Ong dedicated his championship title to his family, notably highlighting his father, Ong Boon Hin. “My dad’s the one who brought me to this scene. He’s always been very supportive. He and my mum never miss a meeting. As he’s quite old now, sometimes, he watches the races at home.”
