Double Major in Shafiq's Sights

The Singapore Turf Club reports:

Former Singapore champion apprentice jockey Shafiq Rizuan seems to have a spring back in his step these days.

To say the 2016 season was a rough year for Shafiq would be an understatement of sorts.

After his annus mirabilis the year before when he won his second title and the biggest race of his young career, the Longines Singapore Gold Cup with Cooptado, many were expecting him to keep soaring.

Shafiq Rizuan is aiming for back-to-back wins on board Major Tom this Sunday.

But the rot set in shortly after that epic win with the Patrick Shaw-trained stayer. Fewer rides - the scourge of any apprentice jockey coming out of his time no matter how talented - was one cause, but the main hitch was suspensions, for careless riding mainly (six altogether) including the infamous one-month ban for riding in a race where a horse owned by a relative was also engaged.

Just when he was gaining some traction again in the last quarter, a two-month suspension on the more serious charge of not riding a horse (Star Invincible) to the satisfaction of the Stewards threw another wrench in the works.

But the Kelantan-born rider has been in this game long enough to know how to bounce back from such testing times.

Since coming back in February, Shafiq has been a frequent visitor at the winner's circle, helped by a renewed support from his former master Mark Walker. Since Court Case on February 10, five of his six wins thus far hails from the Kiwi mentor, the latest being The Cosmos last Sunday.

Nine of his 13 rides (in sharp contrast to the leaner support last year) this weekend are from Walker, and Shafiq has singled out Major Tom, one of his six winners, as his best chance.

The Darci Brahma three-year-old has been improving steadily in three starts until he hit the jackpot with a smashing win in an Initiation race over 1400m on February 12, comprehensively beating Chalaza - who went on to score impressively at his next outing two weeks ago - by close to two lengths.

Major Tom, who races in John Galvin's Fortuna NZ Racing Stable colours, will now be tested against tougher opposition in the $75,000 Novice race over 1400m on Sunday, but Shafiq sounded unperturbed.

“It's a Novice race with a strong field. There are a lot of nice horses who won at their last start or before,” said Shafiq in reference to Country Quack, Siam Gemstone, Southern Glory, Mr Fatkid, Mozart Eclipse, Aotearoa and Makanani.

“But Major Tom won very well at his last start; he lengthened up so easily once we went for the gap on the rails, and I think he has kept improving since. I galloped him on Saturday and today, and he was in great shape.

“The only query is he is still mentally immature. If he can improve on that score, he will be a much better horse, but he's only three and he should get better with more racing experience.  He drew one when he won, and that helped. He drew okay in six this time, but if I can get a nice run with cover, I think he should be right there again.”

Should Major Tom falter, Shafiq can still rely on his other rides to improve on his current tally - and above all, put him back in the reckoning in Kranji's top echelon, at least of local riders.

“Things are going well this year. Mr Walker and his owners are supporting me and I'm very thankful for that,” said the former New Zealand-trained jockey.

“I just have to keep working hard, even if I still find it hard to wake up at 5am! But at least I get to go home early after trackwork and help my wife with the two kids. That's hard work, too!”