By Sharon Zhang, STC
Jockey Carlos Henrique reckoned Flying Nemo will relish the 1600m trip in the $150,000 Group 2 Stewards’ Cup this Sunday and a top-three finish would make his day.
After his last win atop Sousui on 9 June, the Brazilian jockey flew out for a short six-day trip to Thailand following a two-day suspension for his careless ride on Gun on 1 June before returning to Singapore last Sunday. He could have extended his holidays, but he wanted to be back for his “long-term partner”, Flying Nemo.
For now, Henrique has been entrusted to take the reins on the four-year-old son of Vespa till the end of the season. He rides the Desmond Koh-trained gelding day in, day out after the pair surprised punters to a flying finish in the Class 3 race (1400m) two starts ago on 18 May.
“(Jockey) Ruan (Maia) rode him in the barrier trial (9 May) before that but in the race (18 May), he was without a rider. I was lucky because Desmond asked if I wanted to ride him,” said Henrique, who has ridden in Brazil, India, Germany, Bahrain and Qatar before coming to Singapore in March.
“He impressed me that day. We were very far away and I told myself, ‘he can’t win’ but once he came into the straight and I pushed him, he flew home.
“After his last win, the owner (Nemo Stable) asked if I wanted to stay on him until the end of the season and I said ‘yes’.”
“I never rode him before I won on him but when I sat on him for the first time after that, I realised he was very stressed and sweated a lot.
“I sit on him every day in trackwork for an hour or so, and I decided to change things up a little with him.
“I used my experience and applied what I learned in riding in Qatar last time to him and slowly, he became more and more calm.
“I enjoyed myself in Phuket and Phi Phi Islands, but I came back last Sunday because I wanted to ride him at trackwork.”
Three weeks after his sixth win in Singapore, the pint-sized galloper again stormed home from the rear of the field to run a closing fourth to Lim’s Saltoro in the Group 3 Silver Bowl (1400m), albeit less than one-and-a-half length away from the winner.
Connections have chosen to press on in the Stewards’ Cup with Flying Nemo, who will also be having his first test on the mile. While he faces a competitive field of 11, including Silver Bowl winner Lim’s Saltoro, Makin, Bestseller, Lightning Strike and more on equal weights of 57kgs, Henrique saw a few factors that could give Flying Nemo an edge over his peers.
“The 1400m was a bit short for him and the race (Silver Bowl) was on the Short Course. He’s a miler,” he said of Koh’s only runner this Sunday.
“I think the Long Course will help him because the last time he won (18 May), it was also on the Long Course. He also won on the wet track (yielding ground) and it’s not easy for small horses to win on them, so some rain can be good for him.
“The barrier won’t matter because he comes from the back. We’re also probably not going to change anything (racing pattern), just run him like he used to and put him where he’s comfortable.
“Some other runners are better handicapped and won big races before, but my small horse (around 430kgs) is improving, and I don’t think a Group win is something far-fetched for him.
“If they make a strong pace early, then he’ll try to catch them in the end. Honestly, if he can finish in the top three, I’ll be very happy for us, the trainer and the owners.
“I like riding him. He did slow work this morning and will gallop tomorrow. He has improved from his last run and is fit for the race.”
Meanwhile, Henrique has four other rides in Charminton and Aftermath for trainer Donna Logan, Fast and Fearless for trainer James Peters and Golden Way for trainer Tan Kah Soon on Sunday.
Besides Flying Nemo, Henrique thought 59kg topweight Golden Way can win back-to-back in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 2 race (1000m) after he broke the duck in a similar race on 4 May.
“I’ve ridden Golden Way for the past 15 days. He’s the topweight and very well now. He can run on good ground, if not rain would be okay for him too, so I think he has a chance to win again,” he said of the Swiss Ace six-year-old.
