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The Singapore Turf Club has granted Australian jockey Jay Ford a one-day visiting jockey’s licence to ride at the Singapore Gold Cup meeting on 11 November, 2018.

Ford, 34, is booked by trainer Lee Freedman to ride Mr Clint in the Group 1 Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m).

A former Sydney champion apprentice jockey in 2003/2004 with 17 years of riding experience and more than 1,000 winners under his belt, Ford is better remembered as the regular partner of Australian champion sprinter Takeover Target, sitting aboard at 20 of his 21 wins, including eight at Group 1 level.

Two of those Group 1 wins were recorded overseas, namely in the 2006 Sprinters Stakes in Japan and of course the 2008 KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore. Ford also won the 2006 Group 2 King’s Stand (now a Group 1 race) at Royal Ascot on Takeover Target.

After his KrisFlyer triumph, Ford returned to Kranji on a long-term riding licence in 2008, supported mainly by former Kranji trainer Michael Freedman. He rode six winners during that stint.

The next year, he came back only for Takeover Target’s title defence in the KrisFlyer, but did not have the same luck, finishing eighth to Sacred Kingdom. They combined for one more run two months later, in the July Cup in UK, and were beaten in seventh place, for what was to be Takeover Target’s swansong.

Ford has since established himself as one of the leading riders in New South Wales, be it in the city, provincial and country circuit. His last Group 1 win came aboard the Michael Moroney-trained Monaco Consul in the 2009 Spring Champion Stakes while he posted his last ‘black type’ win aboard the Mick Price-trained Miss Admiration in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality at Rosehill Gardens on 22 September, 2018.

Ford currently sits in 10th place on the Sydney metropolitan premiership on 11 winners. He goes to scale at 51kgs.