It's (Almost) Official - Another Premiership

The Singapore Turf Club reports:

It's official. Mark Walker is the new 2021 Singapore champion trainer.

Keeping defending champion trainer Michael Clements in his sights from his second place for most of the season, Walker started to look the part for a fourth title from September when the New Zealand horseman's season started gaining traction with winners by the spades while his rival concurrently hit a speed bump.

If there was any glimmer of hope Clements could still pick him up, it was soon snuffed out with each passing week where that trend was never bucked.

Going into the last 2021 meeting this Saturday, Walker stands at 65 winners, nine clear of Clements.

Only dreamers would have you know, mathematically, the tables can still be turned, but the plain truth is, unless Clements produces a Guinness-like world record of 10 winners in a day, the Club's trophy engraver could start bringing out the ‘Mark Walker Champion' template.

But with Clements entering eight horses over only five races at the Wednesday declaration, all speculation suddenly became moot. Walker could pop the champagne.

Okay, he's been there and done that, he was not going wild. Besides, he'd never made the title his priority even when he was giving Clements the slip, but a fourth gong joining the five New Zealand premier titles in his trophy cabinet still counted as a proud achievement.

“I've not been losing sleep over it, to be honest, but it's a great to win it again after all the hard work throughout the year,” said Walker.

“I have to thank my owners and a great team of staff. We must not forget I'm just the captain of the ship and I need a whole crew behind.”

Trivia buffs would not have missed the pattern - 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 - for his crowning years, but Walker didn't think there was anything “odd” to it. It's all about stable management and horse turnover.

“The key to it is to have new horses coming through, and I've been lucky in that regard,” he said.

“My greatest supporter is now Fortuna Racing with 15 horses and , and  Te Akau has ten as well. All my thanks to John Galvin for his great support and our Te Akau owners too."

Walker turns a bit sombre when he peers at the horizon for what lies ahead on the Singapore racing landscape, albeit he admitted he was one of the “lucky ones”.

“Unfortunately, most owners, including Te Akau, would rather sit back and see what's going to happen at the moment,” he said.

“I've been here for 11 years and won four champion trainer titles, something which I never thought I would achieve when I first arrived. But what I remember more from my first year is what the Club looked like then. How I wished we could go back to those days.

“I still believe Singapore is one of the greatest countries in the world to live in. I wish the government could get behind racing to get it going again, like the way it's done in Australia where every state gets behind its racing and have been a real catalyst.

“We can't hide behind COVID-19 all the time, as I believe we can get it under control. Racing has got to turn around as it's not sustainable for us anymore.  I'm the lucky one with a full barn, but some of the other trainers don't have that. Still, we've got to hope we can ride out the storm as I really don't think this is rock bottom.”

One important cog in the Walker wheel may not be around next year, though - new Singapore champion apprentice jockey Hakim Kamaruddin, and who is in pole position to bag the senior title as well on Saturday.

Walker's apprentice has been the revelation in the riding ranks this year, but blotted his copybook with a few indiscretions that incurred the wrath of Stewards, the latest and most serious offence being a three-month ban for whipping a horse (Motakhayyel) on the head in a race on November 14.

The Kelantan rider was also the only apprentice jockey to be recently renewed for six months (all others get one year) for 2022, presumably meant to be read as a “return to barrier school” between the lines.

Walker thought there was no tougher school than New Zealand. Not only the more frequent racing would help Hakim hone his craft further, but the change of scenery and the bracing Kiwi air could also help clear his mind.

“I've spoken to Hakim, and I'm trying to get him to ride in New Zealand next year. It's of course subject to visa approval,” said Walker, who sent apprentice jockeys like Shafiq Rizuan, Dennis Tan Zhi Xian and Riduan Abu Bakar on the same educational path to Te Akau/New Zealand in the past.

“He will benefit from the experience for sure. He will grow not only as a rider but also as a person.”