Te Akau Singapore Apprentice Action

As you will know, Te Akau Singapore apprentice Shafiq Rizuan is a talent - he has already been crowned Champion Singapore apprentice two years ago.

The Champion Apprentice title is one that is hotly contested and "Suppy" looks on target to reclaim the honour - with 29 wins already this season - that's a whopping 14 ahead of the second placed apprentice Harry Kasim (who was interestingly enough also formerly based in New Zealand).

It was however a special night at Kranji on Friday night as Te Akau's other apprentice CK Ng pulled out a lovely ride to drive Zac Gallant back to form and home in first place - the apprentice's first race day win.  An occasion he will certainly never forget!

The Singapore Turf Club reports:

The wait has been long but that first Kranji victory could not have been sweeter for apprentice jockey Ng Choon Kiat when a pick-up ride saw him dive between runners to score a last-gasp win in the $35,000 The Faithful + Gould Cup, a Class 5 Division 2 race over 1000m on Friday.

The former Penang-based but Singaporean-born rookie decided to head back South after he felt the grass might be greener back home - and that thrilling win aboard Zac Gallant ($50) was the biggest boost of confidence he could have hoped for to tell himself he made the right move.

Tactically, the 27-year-old, who got the call-up by his master Mark Walker after fellow apprentice jockey Zuriman Zulkifli was stood down, also made the right move in the way he steered the previous winless son of Darci Brahma to the wire between Genuine Bargain (Rueven Ravindra) and Stock Broker (Shafiq Rizuan) to get up by a head with another short head splitting the two placegetters. The winning time was 1min 0.17secs.

Zac Gallant (Ng Choon Kiat, red cap) manages to pip his rivals in race 6 on Friday.

Ng, who had up to now 23 Kranji rides under his belt, mostly for Walker, with only one second to show for, was delighted he had now put that elusive win on his home soil behind him.

“I'm so excited I got my first win in Singapore. I rode one winner in Malaysia, Mogan's Pride for my old boss Lim Hoon Seng, so this is a great thrill to win on my own turf,” said Ng, who has been based at Kranji in the last seven months.

“I have to thank my new boss, Mr Walker, for thinking of me when Zuriman was stood down. Mr Walker is a very good boss, he teaches me and supports me a lot.

“I also have to thank the Lucky Stable as they are the one who recommended me to Mr Walker when I was in Penang. I hope I will be able to ride more winners here now.”

Ng said Zac Gallant is a horse he knows quite well for having put him through his paces in the morning and he only had to follow Walker's instructions to give himself every chance.

“The boss told me to jump well and take a sit and wait for the home straight to make my move,” said Ng.

“I knew I had a good chance turning for home. My horse was travelling well and he responded very well in the last 200m.  It's a win I will never forget.”

Walker was also glad his new apprentice (former champion rookie and current table-topper Shafiq Rizuan still holds the mantle of No 1 apprentice) has broken the ice, though he felt there was still room for improvement.

"He's a quiet young man and he works hard at the stable," said the New Zealander.

"As you could see from tonight's ride, he still has some progress to go, but well done to him."