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The well-supported Kimitonara went one better from his debut second with a fighting win on Friday night.
Astutely ridden by leading apprentice jockey Simon Kok Wei Hoong, the Japanese-owned Star Witness three-year-old looked beat when Supermax (Wong Chin Chuen) raced past him upon straightening up.
The fact Kimitonara ($22) was green as grass didn't help his cause either, but under a determined ride from Kok, he knuckled down to the task to reclaim the advantage and notch an early maiden win in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden-2 race over 1200m.
The winning margin was a mere neck from Supermax. Race-leader Water Rocket's jockey Juan Paul van der Merwe objected against Kimitonara for alleged interference in the straight, but it was dismissed, which meant that his third place another two and a half lengths away stood.
The winning time was 1min 10.87secs for the 1200m on the Long Course.
Going on Kimitonara's promising debut second to Atlas a month ago, winning trainer Steven Burridge was relatively confident of a forward showing from the new ward he only recently took over from Kuala Lumpur trainer Simon Dunderdale.
"I have to thank Simon Dunderdale, who trains in KL, and whom I've known for a number of years through Danny Murphy (Singapore Gold Cup-winning trainer of Terfel in 2005)," said the Australian handler.
"Simon bought this horse at the sales and thought he would send him up here for the two-year-old series, but he couldn't bring him down, and the horse missed out on the two-year-old series.
"I've had him for eight weeks and a lot of work has gone into him, and he's done a great job to win tonight.
"He was actually headed at the 500m. I think he was taken a little by surprise by Supermax, but he fought back well and Simon rode him very well, too."
With that 33rd win and only 13 meetings left in the 2019 season, Burridge's apprentice jockey is all but home in his bid for a first title in the Singapore apprentice jockey's premiership, having now stretched his lead to 20 winners on Shafrizal Saleh.
"That was only his second start, and he was still green. He was looking at the grass and the shadows," said the Ipoh-born rider.
"When we tried to pass JP's (van der Merwe) horse (Water Rocket), he ducked back to the rails, but from the 200m, I knew they couldn't get me."
In only two runs, Kimitonara has, thanks to Friday's win and his debut second, already earned in excess of $50,000 for the Tsubakihime Stable.
