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Local jockey Mohd Zaki scored a unexpected hat-trick of wins with three outsiders Longhu, Sun Conqueror and by far the longest-priced in From The Navy on Saturday.
The Malaysian rider was true to his frontrunning reputation aboard Longhu ($107) in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1200m and Sun Conqueror ($74) in the $30,000 Class 5 race over 1700m, but showed he was no one-trick pony with a come-from-behind ride aboard From The Navy ($213) in the penultimate race, the $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1000m.
Zaki had an inkling it was not his first treble in around 15 years of riding, but will savour the feat all the same as one. Upon checking the archives, it turned out he did pull off a similar feat 10 years ago on December 16, 2011 with Prime Mover for ex-Kranji trainer Mok Zhan Lun, and Gypsy Magic and See Me Win for trainer Leslie Khoo.
"I think I rode three winners before, but I can't be sure," said the Kelantan-born jockey who honed his craft as an apprentice jockey with Japanese trainer Hideyuki Takaoka.
"I had a good book of rides today, and I thought I could ride one winner maybe, not two, but three, I can't believe it! I hope there'll be more winners to come.
"Longhu is probably the one I expected would run well. (Boss) Shane (Baertschiger) just told me to jump him and try to go forward.
"Turning for home, I still had plenty of horse and I was very confident he could win.
"From The Navy was a big surprise. The pace was quick and he flew home, again I was just lucky."
Zaki confided it was a different kind of luck that saw him combine with Sun Conqueror for the second pin of his hat-trick – one that came down to trainers' call at barrier trials.
"I only got the ride on Sun Conqueror after SH Lee (Desmond Koh's assistant-trainer Lee Soo Hin) asked me to ride him in a barrier trial last week (August 31)," he said.
"Initially, I was supposed to ride Be Bee for the boss, but it was CC Wong (Chin Chuen) who rode him in the end, and that's why Shane let me ride Sun Conqueror today.
"I've actually ridden him in barrier trials before but never rode him in a race until today. He showed a lot of gate speed to go in front, but honestly, I thought I got beat at the top of the straight when the other horse (Circuit Star with Oscar Chavez up) went past us.
"I changed my whip to the left hand and he found another gear. I can't explain it, when horses want to win, they just do it, I didn't do anything, I was just very lucky."
Baertschiger was evidently pleased with Zaki's rich vein of form given that six (including all three of Longhu's wins) of his 20 wins this year were supplied by his new employee since that watershed win aboard pick-up ride Nepean in last year's Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1400m).
"Zaki is riding in great form. He deserves it as he works very hard," said the Australian mentor who also prepares From The Navy.
"Longhu has done very well this year with three wins and he's a nine-year-old. I just told Zaki to go to the front and he won easily (in 1min 11.9secs for the 1200m on Polytrack) by two lengths (from Fast And Fearless with Juan Paul van der Merwe up and Charger with Simon Kok Wei Hoong up, split by a neck for second and third place respectively), just like at his previous win when he won by 1 ½ lengths.
"There is no secret to his resurgence. We just have to find the right race for him.
"He sits at the barriers at times, but today, he jumped on terms, and Zaki rated him well.
"From The Navy was a surprise but I think the 1400m was too far for him at his last start, even if he finished only four lengths behind (Clarton Treasure).
"He was also suited by the fast tempo. He dropped back and finished strongly."
The Hinchinbrook five-year-old was recording his third win from 18 starts for the Ronaldo Stable for prizemoney around the $95,000 mark. At the top of the straight, he looked a forlorn hope, but as a saloon passage along the rails came up, he bounded away to an easy one-length win from Teardrops (Oscar Chavez) with Cousteau (Shafiq Rizuan) third another length away. The winning time was 58.95 seconds for the 1000m on Polytrack.
Baertschiger has also collected around another $30,000 from Longhu, a nine-year-old by Per Incanto who was at his sixth season for Jayven See's Middle Kingdom No 2 Stable. The total prizemoney from his 10 wins and six placings from 58 starts have now bulged the owner's bank account to the $365,000 mark.
As for Fighting Sun six-year-old Sun Conqueror, the win tally now stands at three from 29 starts for stakes earnings that have tipped over the $85,000 mark for the Sun Bloodstock Racing Stable.
