Michael Clements may have won the Singapore trainers’ championship in 2020 and put the polish on over 20 Group winners in his time at Kranji, but it was another first for the trainer when he saddled an amazing five winners on the 11-race meeting on Saturday. The African trainer is originally from Zimbabwe, a dual champion trainer there, and has carved a place for himself in Singapore racing folk law.
Lucky Charm ($13) opened the Champion trainers account for the day with an easy two-length win for jockey Wong Chin Chuen in the $20,000 Maiden race over 1400m before stable apprentice jockey – Ibrahim Mamat – made it a double with Greatham Girl ($20) in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1100m three races later.
But it was late in the card when the stable gained steam with South Of The River ($10), Absolute Radiance ($23) and Prodigal ($41) firing in quick succession.
Ridden by Wong, South Of The River was probably the most impressive of the trio winning first-up after a nine-month spell in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1000m (see previous report) and Absolute Radiance gave jockey Vlad Duric’s backers something to cheer about after he got up by a nose in the $30,000 Class 5 race over the mile.
But it was the problematic horse, Prodigal, that would have given the respected trainer his biggest thrill. The Functioning Degenerates Stable-owned gelding was given the gem of a ride by the in-form jockey Simon Kok Wei Hoong and he got up in a thriller in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1600m.
After late support on the tote, Kok settled the son of Proisir at the rear of the 12-horse field with only last-start Class 5 winner Engine Start (Zyrul Nor Azman) and barrier rogue, Ima (Ronnie Stewart) behind him.
Flashfast (Jake Bayliss) led them up early and made all the running on the Long Course but had plenty of company at the 400m with Atlas (Wong), Green Star (Jerlyn Seow) and Born To Win (Marc Lerner) all looming as winning chances.
A blanket finish was on the cards and with fancied runners Istataba (Ibrahim) and Hardcore (Duric) both peaking on their runs at the 200m, it was anyone’s race and race caller Pat Comerford did not know where to look.
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Image Prodigal one of his winners STC image
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