While five-time Singapore champion jockey Manoel Nunes had the senior jockey’s premiership wrapped up a long way from home this year, the battle in the juniors’ division will go down to the wire on Saturday.
With one last meeting left in the season, apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow currently leads the apprentice title race on 14 wins, three more than fellow apprentice jockeys Jamil Sarwi and Rozlan Nazam, who are both on 11 wins.
But with the only female jockey in Singapore sidelined due to a careless riding suspension, the chasing pair does have a sneaky chance to snatch the title should any of them wins four races on Saturday, but they will need things to go their way
Both riders have solid bookings, and while four wins on a day would be a career-best for either Jamil or Rozlan, they each have nine chances on the 12-race meeting to pull off a ‘minor miracle’.
Ironically, it was Seow’s first four-timer on 9 December that gave her that seemingly unassailable lead; a point not lost on Jamil, who has six rides for his master trainer Donna Logan in his quest for apprentice honours.
“If Jerlyn can ride four in one day, why not me?” said the Singaporean, who now sits in second place on the apprentice jockeys’ premiership on a better countback of seconds than Rozlan.
“But I will need lots of luck! I’m thankful that I have nine good rides, mainly from ma’am (Logan) who has supported me all year.
“And also thanks to other trainers who gave me rides. I rode only four winners last year, so I’m already happy with the season so far.
“I think God’s Gift (x Haradasun) is a chance in the first race ($30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1400m). If I can win one early, I will be happy as that would mean I have a chance later in the day.
“Gun (x Extreme Choice) also looks a good winning hope. The ($75,000) Novice race (1200m) looks like a very strong field but he (Gun) won well at his last start (9 December) and is well-weighted (51kgs after Jamil’s three-kilo claim).
“It would be nice to ride a winner for ma’am on the last day but even if I can’t catch Jerlyn, I still have to ride more than my good friend Rozlan for second place (laughs).”
Rozlan, who led the title race on 2 December before Seow’s red-letter day, also knew winning the title is a huge ask but was more than happy on how the 2023 season has panned out for him.
“I rode zero winners (from 23 rides) last year, so to ride 11 (winners) with one meeting to go is amazing,” said Rozlan, who has three rides for his master trainer Ricardo Le Grange on Saturday.
“It’s very exciting to go into the last meeting with nine rides and a chance to win (the title), but to be honest, I’m happy whoever wins as we all worked very hard, are young and are always learning.
“I’m very grateful to ride for my boss, who is strict but always teaching me. He supports me with good rides and maybe I can win on Windfall (x Justify) in the ($75,000) Novice race (1200m) for the stable.”
The other rider with numbers on his mind was Nunes, who needs six more wins to hit his century of wins this season.
The Brazilian ace currently sits on 94 wins, an amazing 50 wins ahead of the second-placed Wong Chin Chuen. With nine good rides on Saturday, one cannot discount the possibility of a big haul coming from the champion rider.
The former six-time Macau champion jockey rode six wins at Kranji in a day back on 4 July 2014 after he saluted aboard Snitzel Spirit, Big Harvest, Sand Lane, City Lad, Danny and Reach For The Sun.
This time, a win in the opener on Rook’s Gambit is certainly not out of the question and could set up a day to remember.
“It’s an open race so my horse (Rook’s Gambit) looks a good chance as any others,” said Nunes of the four-year-old son of El Roca.
“To be honest, it’s not my strongest book of rides this year but if I start well, you never know. Most of my rides look like each-way chances, so I will need luck on my side.
“But I cannot ask for more than what happened this year. Whatever the result on Saturday, I’m just thankful for the support I have received from trainers and owners and hope it continues in 2024.”
By Larry Foley, Singapore Turf Club
