3 minute read
Here’s an easy one for you: Would you turn down a ride on a confirmed starter when your horse is the second emergency acceptor?
The answer would be a no-brainer: 'hell no'.
Would you believe it. Jockey A'Isisuhairi 'Harry' Kasim said 'thanks, but no thanks' to trainer James Peters when approached for the ride on Arc Triumph in Saturday's $85,000 Pitstop 2012 Stakes, Class 2 race over 1100m.
The runner A'Isisuhairi had been booked on well before, the Lee Freedman-trained You Rokk , was only the second standby starter – hence needing two scratchings to get promoted into the line-up.
Given the remote chances of an EA2 of getting in, the Malaysian jockey could have told Freedman to let him off for the Arc Triumph booking, but he took a very big punt. He stuck solid with the You Rokk booking even if 99 times out of 100, the horse stays in his box and the jockey watches the race on TV.
And he was well rewarded for his blind faith in the Artie Schiller entire when the Leticia Drgaon pair of Surpass Natural and Nimble were scratched on Thursday. Both You Rokk and stablemate and EA1 Augustano (Mohd Zaki) were in.
That was one prayer answered and only half the battle won. A'Isisuhairi still had to go out there and win the race for the gamble to be fully redeemed.
He didn't need to pray too hard this time as the seven-year-old was clearly on song on Saturday, aided by a bit of ducking and weaving into the home straight, which saw the last-minute pairing sneak in for a half-length win over Altair (Ruan Maia).
Webster (Chin Chee Seng) ran third another neck away. Sent out at lukewarm odds of $50, You Rokk was timed at 1min 4.38secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.
For the record, Arc Triumph who had Juan Paul van der Merwe up, ran fifth while Augustano finished at the rear.
"I was so confident You Rokk would win this race going on his last run (flying fourth to Magic Wand in a Class 3 race) and at the handicap (only 50kgs)," said A'Isisuhairi.
"That's why both Lee and myself were disappointed when he was only the EA2. I ride him in work and he has really improved from his last start, he needed the run then.
"I actually got an offer to ride James Peters' horse but I turned it down. Somehow, I still hoped I could get in, it's crazy, I know, but I believe in miracles.
"And I couldn't believe it when Chi (Iizuka, Freedman's Japanese stable supervisor) rang me and told me we were in.
"It was a big gamble and it's paid off. The horse was super fit and Lee just told me to settle him where he is comfortable.
"We knew there would be plenty of speed, and he was travelling so well when we straightened up. When I saw a gap to my inside, we went through and he gave a strong kick to win."
A five-time winner in Australia, You Rokk was bringing up his second Kranji win from 11 starts for Australian owner Tony Torcasio, for stakes earnings that are fast closing in on the $100,000 mark, already around half of his A$210,000 earnings in Australia.
