Apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow was in red-hot form when she booted home four winners for the first time on Saturday at Kranji, regaining her lead in the apprentice jockey’s premiership.
Before the meeting, the only female rider currently plying her trade at Kranji sat in second with 10 wins, one behind apprentice jockey Rozlan Nazam. The latter went home empty-handed, but Seow was on fire after Roda Robot, Fortune Wheel, Surrey Hills and Silo scored.
Silo (Jerlyn Seow) fends off Sacred Buddy (Iskandar Rosman) to take out Race 11 (Pic – Singapore Turf Club)
The Singaporean lass first won aboard the Jason Ong-trained Roda Robot in the SG$50,000 Class 4 race, before scoring atop the Richard Lim-trained Fortune Wheel in the SG$30,000 Class 5 race.
With a full book of rides on Saturday, the two-kilo claimer brought up her first race day treble after Surrey Hills won the SG$50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race, again for trainer Jason Ong.
Seow had two more strong chances to turn a good day into a great one, but when Asif only managed third in the penultimate race, it was down to Silo to bring up her quartet of wins.
The Stephen Crutchley-trained three-year-old son of National Defense did not disappoint in the SG$50,000 Class 4 race after he won over favourite Sacred Buddy (Iskandar Rosman) by a short head with Greatham Boy (Vlad Duric) another three-and-a-quarter lengths back in third.
After jumping well from gate three, Seow was happy to let both From The Navy (Matthew Kellady) and Greatham Boy cross while she had the second favourite Silo perfectly positioned one-back on the rails.
Meanwhile, Sacred Buddy was handy in his run, albeit three-wide punching the breeze. It was the four on-pace runners who kicked on turning for home and were knuckling down for the ding-dong battle to the wire.
After From the Navy started to feel the pressure at the 300m, it was a three-way go with both Silo and Sacred Buddy levelling up with Greatham Boy.
While Greatham Boy was gamed under hard riding by Duric, he also had enough by the 200m, leaving the other two to fight out the finish.
The final furlong was a cracker with Seow riding for dear life with the elusive quartet in sight and did just enough to hold off the promising Sacred Buddy, who made one last dive on the line but a tad too slow.
While this was only his second win, Silo did place second at Group level in the Gr3 Singapore Golden Horseshoe in July. The victory took his prizemoney to over SG$120,000 for the Toast Trusts & Silo Stable.
It was all about Seow’s red-letter day in the saddle and she was glad a great book of rides had reaped rewards.
“I was excited on Monday,” said Seow.
“I knew I had a book of rides that had six very good winning chances and I was nervous all week, but my apprentice boss (riding master) Noh Senari told me to keep calm, don’t rush and do the same as I normally do.
“That helped but I was still nervous as I knew I had a chance to ride multiple winners. I had never ridden more than two in a meeting before and wanted to make sure I made the most out of this opportunity.
“I was disappointed for trainer Tim Fitzsimmons when Golden Brown just got beat (in the SG$50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1100m) as I had to make them all count.
“But Roda Robot won well and when Surrey Hills brought up my first treble, I was very happy, but I also knew I had a chance to make it four or five with two good rides left.
“Asif also went close, but it was really exciting when Silo won the last race to make it four. I had high expectations before the day, so four winners were good.”
Seow, who only started riding two years ago and finished third with 15 wins in last year’s apprentice jockeys’ premiership, was quick to thank all those who had helped her.
“Very happy to win on Silo for owner of Toast Trusts Stable Constance Cheng as she has supported me since the start and also for my master trainer, Stephen Crutchley,” she said.
“And two for Jason as well. Richard, my mentor, taught me how to ride, so it’s great to win one for him too.
“I have to thank trainer Steven Burridge as he not only gives me rides but also taught me about riding when I started. I think I have ridden at some stage for all the trainers at Kranji, so I have to thank them all really.”
While she now leads the apprentice jockeys’ log by three wins more than Rozlan, Seow will have to watch on in the last two meetings this year as she will start her three-week suspension next Saturday for her careless riding on Superior Coat on 25 November. She will resume riding in races on January 14 next year.
“Unfortunately, I will just have to watch and see how Rozlan and apprentice jockey Jamil Sarwi, currently third on 10 wins go in the next two weeks,” she said.
“It would be nice if one of us wins the champion apprentice jockey’s title as a Singaporean hasn’t won it for a long time.
“Of course, I want it to be me, but I can only watch and see what happens.”
The last Singaporean to win the champion apprentice jockey’s title was ex-jockey Troy See in 2018.
