The horse is like travelling 100km/h. The front pack battling like crazy … and Gallagher smart enough to move the horse outside to avoid the traffic jam and whip his way to winner.

Here is the screenshot I obtained from the video replay …

Last 100m

Last 50m

Finish

Enjoy ………..

Listen to the interview here

http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/rsnewsart.asp?NID=116271

Screen shots of the winning chronology :

Home turn

Overtaking the front runner

History created ! - 100 winners.

For race video, click here to visit Singapore Turf Club website :
RACE 5: GRADUATION - 1600M COURSE A (SC) (TURF TRACK)

Congratulations ! and well done.

Top jockey Saimee Jumaat reached a career 1,000-win milestone on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur when the well-backed Grisham crossed the line first in Race 5.

Saimee, who returned from a one-year disqualification in September, has been in rattling form on both sides of the Causeway. He has already notched up 16 wins at Kranji with his latest haul being a treble on Friday night.

After that meeting, the 35-year-old Singaporean headed up to Kuala Lumpur just three wins short of the tonne on the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) circuit. He bagged a winner (Toll The Bell) on Saturday, followed by a treble (he also scored on Medicine Man and Zhen Dao) on Sunday.

Source : Singapore Turf Club

Do you know which country got the highest betting turnover in the horse racing industry ?

Here is the chart …

Source : IFHA

Do you know where Malaysia and Singapore stands … ?

It ranked #12 at 790,046,424 turnover.

I am not sure what’s the futher breakdown between 2 countries. Just suspect Singapore may contributes higher.

This is a very interesting race. Known favourite top spin is set to go and try to lead from pillar to post but our local champion jockey - Saimee, rides a patient race and try to catch him at the last 200m. Both rider also top class and it is an exciting race you must watch.

http://videos.turfclub.com.sg/20070928SR07.wmv

I did not involve much in Selangor racing this week. I think Saimee did not land any winner in Malaysia this week. Hopefully he can claim his pie next week since Hari Raya is Coming …

Just when we thought we were headed for a laborious finish at the business end, a grey flash suddenly shot through the pack like a lightning bolt. It was Din Azis sporting the famous grey and red colours of Lim’s Stable, who had found a gap inside Jade, and wielding the whip like there was no tomorrow, rode his mount out to the line for a famous victory.

This is the quote I took from Singapore Turf Club website … you should watch the video replay. Din Aziz really whips Lim Prestige like no tomorrow. It was a very exciting race except the run by Chevron a bit disappointing. Thought Chevron could lead but … he was slow into stride.

Here is the link to watch the replay for Singapore Derby 2007.

http://videos.turfclub.com.sg/20070715SR09.wmv

Enjoy … and congratulations to the winning team.

No: Horse Jockey Trainer Weight Barrier
1 CRUSOE Andrew Calder Laurie Laxon 57kgs 9
2 MY ROYAL CAPTAIN Noel Callow Laurie Laxon 57kgs 8
3 CHEVRON Ronnie Stewart Charles Leck 57kgs 7
4 WORLD DELIGHT Richard Lim Bruce Marsh 57kgs 10
5 ZINLY KB Soo Sam Chua 57kgs 6
6 JADE K Fujii Takaoka 57kgs 2
7 WIND CHASER Dan Nikolic Stephen Gray 57kgs 14
8 ECHAGUE Barend Vorster Patrick Shaw 57kgs 5
9 STEALTH Matthew Pumpa Bruce Marsh 57kgs 13
10 LIM’S PRESTIGE Oscar Chavez Stephen Gray 57kgs 4
11 SCHMEICHEL Robbie Fradd Patrick Shaw 57kgs 12
12 CASMODADO Mark Gallagher M Clements 57kgs 1
13 ROYAL CROWN Darren Beadman Bruce Marsh 57kgs 11
14 WORTH THE WAIT Matthew Kellady Baertschiger 57kgs 3

Race 1 - 3 Justforhelp looks like hot favourite. Outsider, I am looking at 9 Prince Gold. Hope this 2 year old can fire !

Race 2, got quite a number of front running horse in this field. Veeandvee, Golden Chestnut, Welcome Change and Valiant Master. Personally I like Welcome Change.

Race 3 - 2 Superb Legend seems the best here with Mark Ewe claiming 2kg.

Race 4, I feel that this is a tough race. Prefer to skip. If I were to pick a horse for betting, I will consider Royal Smile.

Race 5, 10 Super Express is a very risky horse. I think he will definitely lead in this race. Since he won before on SAND and place in 1400m, just scared it will lead from pillar to post. Outsider that I like is Sandstorm. He won at MRA 46 points carrying 56.5kg. Now, MRA points is 48 and -4kg claim will result 53.5kg in riding weight. This horse definitely got advantage in ratings. Let’s see whether Azrull can overcome the wide barrier or not.

Race 6, no idea … i don’t really like maiden. I will monitor the tote for 10 Handsome Jazz for betting support.

Race 7, Lim’s Swing and outsider Dreammore.

Race 8, Han Effect for me … value pick, I go for Kamsky

Race 9, go for value pick again … Classical Park.

That’s my preference for now. Will look at the last minute betting support to reconfirm my bet. Good luck …

It is an interesting outing for me.

Make some small coins but I am happy as long as I am on the positive side.

Here are some of the interesting stats I gathered.

Before that let me clarify some of my own terminology

Sprint Races are 1200, 1300, 1400
Outsiders, I just classify as payout > RM 40
Since this is Malaysia racing, I will use RM and if it is Singapore racing, I will use SG $.

Both days, there are 14 sprint races and 9 races over a mile.

In the sprint races, 6 out of 14 races are won by horses that pay over RM 40.

Combining first, second and third placing for the sprint races, 25 out of 42 ( 3 placing x 14 races ) on board are outsiders.

It is about 60%.

So, if you are betting on favourite like those paying less than RM 20 in sprint races, you are out of luck.

You will be on losing end.

The reason why this happen is very simple … my horse racing sifu from Singapore ( Mr G ) guided me on this during race day.

Told me, don’t look at those donkeys in Class 5. Look for the younger generation.

They are not proven and possibly steal the show.

and he is RIGHT !

For sprint races, here are the count of horses that are on board.

3yo = 13 ( 5 horses won )
4yo = 7 ( 2 horses won )
5yo = 13 ( 5 horses won )
6yo = 4 ( 1 horse won )
7yo = 4 ( 1 horse won )
9yo = 1

Now, you flip through your race card and look for sprint races.

Tell me, is it easier to pick a 3 year old or 5 year old ?

I guess you can easily count how many entries are there for 3 yo.

It is not much …

Feel free to comment and share your thoughts …

The Stanley Ho owned galloper was brilliant on his way to a crushing four lengths defeat of Dubai victor Vengeance Of Rain in a win that had all the pundits shaking their heads with disbelief.

Not that the win was unexpected - after all last year Viva Pataca captured both the Hong Kong Derby and the Champions and Chater Cup - and he did beat Vengeance Of Rain in the QEII Cup at his last outing.

It was the manner in which he did it and the time he ran which astonished all - even no doubts - his most ardent admirer, trainer, Australian John Moore.

The world saw what Vengeance Of Rain is capable of in Dubai. He is no slouch. Yet the train of thought was he was a little underdone after the trip from Dubai and that is why he succumbed to Viva Pataca in the QEII Cup and the Hong Kong punters rallied to him and sent him off a warm 1/2 favourite at the off. Viva Patace had always been a firm second favourite in what was regarded as a match race and he firmed late in the betting to jump at 6/4 second favourite.

But today Vengeance Of Rain was beaten fair and square by a horse who now deserves his chance on the international stage. The son of Marju was given a lovely run in fourth place off a hot speed set by Saturn. Champion Irish jockey Mick Kinnane followed Vengeance of Rain everywhere he went and Viva Pataca simply cruised past the odds on favourite and with Kinnane merely waving the whip at him in the final 200 metres he streaked clear to win by an ever widening margin.

Kinnane was probably thankful he did not have to work too hard as he spent all night on the plane after riding in yesterday’s English Derby to fly to Hong Kong to renew his association with Viva Pataca - and keep his record at 100% on the horse - three rides - all in Gr 1 races and three wins.

In winning Viva Pataca smashed the track record held by John Hammond’s smart British stayer Red Bishop - set at one of the first international race meetings in 1994.

Moore now plans to bring Viva Pataca to Australia to contest the Cox Plate - and if travels well and arrives in the same form he was in today - lookout - he will be right in the finish.

* * * *

The connections of Daiwa Major had $1.8m (AUD) reasons to celebrate after that galloper won the Gr 1 Yosuda Kinnen in Tokyo today - but I will bet they were also having a thought about what might have been.

The Yosuda Kinnen is the fourth leg of the Asian Mile Challenge - which incorporates the Hong Kong Mile, the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield in Australia and the Dubai Duty Free at the World Cup meeting and any horse that can win two of the four legs gets a $1m US bonus.

Daiwa Major was absolutely luckless in Dubai and should have been right in the mix and today he proved when the luck went his way that he is yet another serious racehorse to emerge from the Land Of The Rising Sun.

Unlike last year when Hong Kong’s Bullish Luck took out the Yosuda Kinnen and the bonus, the Hong Kong raiders today were outpointed and all four were disappointing.

* * * *

The Brett Prebble - Douglas Whyte show rolled on again at Shatin today with Whyte landing three winners to Prebble’s one and he has now increased his premiership lead to four.

Happy Valley will be packed to the rafters on Wednesday night as the two again go head to head with eight meetings of the season remaining.

* * * *

As one continues to watch the racing in Hong Kong both from having been there several times and from afar one can only wonder at just what the former British Colony has achieved in racing a very short space of time.

Don’t forget Hong Kong only began professional racing in 1970. Prior to that 25 meetings per year were conducted on an amateur basis.

In those days Happy Valley was the only racecourse and the thought of a world class set up like Shatin was merely a pipe dream. I can recall when Aussie jockeys like Peter Miers, Brian Foy, Billy Burnett and others were among the first intake of professionals into Hong Kong.

From those days it has progressed at such a rapid rate - only Singapore has made anywhere near the leaps in achievement that Hong Kong has - and it now has a product that is absolutely world class in all facets of its industry.

Racing in Hong Kong is theatre - every race is worth massive money and totalisator pools are huge by any standards anywhere in the world.

The stars in the game are exactly that - superstars.