3 minute read

After going through a dry run, the rain that came down as the field to Sunday’s $70,000 Kranji Stakes C race over 1200m was sent on their way saw Biraz bounce back to winning ways to incidentally give his owner its second Singapore hurrah for the year on the same day.

The Per Incanto six-year-old is certainly no pushover as he was last year mixing it with the best at Kranji. His narrow second to Singapore Derby hero Jupiter Gold in a Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m in September was a strong case in point.

The last time he saluted, however, was last May in a Class 3 race over 1200m on turf at his very first start under trainer Daniel Meagher’s care. Two starts earlier, he landed the British Club Gallop, a Class 3 race over 1100m on Polytrack for his previous handler, James Peters.

In two starts this campaign, the Al-Arabiya Stable-owned galloper slipped under the radar, but at his third run, he turned his form around with an on-the-pace run that eventually led to a gutsy head-win from Charger (Syahir Abdul), aided greatly by a supremely confident ride from apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen.

The meat in the sandwich between leader Red Dawn (Matthew Kellady) and Filibuster (Ben Thompson) from the start, Bizaz ($38) was, however, always on the bridle and not looking out of his comfort zone at all.

The engine was evidently still in cruising mode as he rounded the home turn. Once given his head, Biraz easily shook off the two “buns”, but still had the swoopers to wrestle with.

Desperate for the line, Wong extracted the best out of his mount who responded by bravely withstanding Charger’s stinging attack to just scrape home. Elusive Emperor (Krisna Thangamani) stuck on well for third place another length away. The winning time was 1min 12.25secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.

Meagher was glad the two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey had finally ridden a winner for him.

“It’s about time CC rode a winner for me. I told him if he didn’t win, he doesn’t come back,” said the Australian handler who was saddling winner No 106 since he took up training at Kranji in 2016.

“This horse carried a lot of weight and he’s only a small horse, but he did a good job today.

“The owners have been very patient with him, and it’s great for Mansoor, Din and the whole team.”

Representing Al-Arabiya Stable’s principal owner Mr Mansoor Gandhi at the winner’s circle, Mr Din Alauddin was leading in their second winner after the Donna Logan-trained Burkaan (see previous report) finally put them on the Kranji scoresheet for 2019 (they had winners in Malaysia), ending a frustrating run of placings and fittingly adding credence to the saying “when it rains, it pours”.

“It’s been so long we had no winners,” said Mr Alauddin.

“It’s great we’ve broken the duck with two winners today.”

Wong said the low draw was a huge factor to the win, which has extended his current lead in the Singapore champion apprentice jockey’s log to four winners – nine winners against Amirul Ismadi’s five.

“He jumped strongly and it helped he had an inside draw,” said the Penang rider.

“He has a good record on Polytrack as I remember I rode him when he finished second to Jupiter Gold in such a race last year.

“Today was all about getting a good jump and in the straight, he responded to my riding and came to the line very well.

“It was close in the end, but we were very lucky to hold on.”

Biraz has now brought his record to three wins and four placings from 18 starts for stakes earnings that have now tipped over the $200,000 mark for the Al-Arabiya Stable whose last winner before Sunday's brace came with the Logan-trained Shahbaa on December 9, 2018.