Maia gets right into the Spirit

After a three-year absence, Ruan Maia has made up for lost time with a quick return to the Kranji winner’s enclosure on April 13.

The Brazilian jockey, who was at his first day of his second – and last – long-term Singapore stint, booted home a double aboard Kinabalu Light and Pacific Spirit, both for trainer David Kok.

The 35-year-old was actually expected to salute at least once from his book of eight rides, given that, bar Forget Romance ($229), they were well in the market.

Railside fans cheered on as he headed out on his first booking, $13 favourite Bravo Kid in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 2 race (1,400m).

But an in-form Star Victory (Benny Woodworth) denied him that same flying start he had in his first and only Kranji ride in 2018, Circuit Land in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m).

For having bumped his haul up by another 70 winners, mostly at a breakout season in 2020 (62 winners and runner-up to Vlad Duric), Maia did not need a map to find his way back to the winning post.

The three-time Macau champion jockey duly went one better in his next ride, aboard $16 favourite Kinabalu Light in the $30,000 Ckass 5 Division 2 race (1,700m).

He had to earn every cent of his riding fee, though. The Belardo four-year-old came under siege late but was able to scrape home in a three-way blanket finish.

With at least four fancied rides left, including Pacific Emperor in the day’s highlight, the $100,000 Kranji Stakes A (1,100m), a field day was in the air.

But Maia went quiet in his next four rides, with Pacific Emperor’s last place the biggest flop.

By then, a feeling of “one win is better than nothing” might have crept up.

But $47 outsider Pacific Spirit got up in the nick of time in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race (1,700m) to give Maia a more respectable scoreline.

It might not have been a double served on a silver platter, but the talented rider will no doubt be a major player in the six months counting down to the closure on Oct 5, which may feel like deja vu that day.

Maia rode a treble at Macau racing’s farewell at Taipa on March 30 before packing his boots for Kranji, which, ironically, faces a similar fate in six months’ time.

For now, he just seems to want to live every race day like it is the last.

“I’m happy to ride two winners at my first day back. A big thank you to David who gave me both rides,” said Maia.

“I rode the first winner (Kinabalu Light) in trackwork twice and he gave me a good feel.

“I wanted to be as close as possible to the speed in the race, in fourth or fifth position, and not sit too far back.

“After that, I waited until the straight and he responded very well for me.”

Despite drawing barrier No. 1, the Royal Sabah Turf Club-owned galloper found himself smothered in midfield halfway through the race.

After easing to the outside approaching the home turn, Maia had him in full flight when slicing through the pack at the 300m.

Baulked for a run early in the straight, Fortune Star (Bernardo Pinheiro) rattled home once he found daylight on the inside, but missed out by a head.

Kok said the inside alley could have backfired, but a smart ride ensured it did not.

“Credit to Maia, he brought the horse out when he had no room, or he could have got stuck on the inside. It’s good for him to win early,” said the Singaporean trainer.

“I was quite confident of a good run today. Last time he drew wide and was caught wide.”

Class 5 dwellers like Pacific Spirit are more unpredictable, but Kok said luck is taken out of the equation when the pilot is Maia.

“The field wasn’t strong. Last time, he got checked,” he said.

“Today, he also had a stronger jockey in the saddle. It was close, but it was Maia who won the race.”

Maia said it was a hard-fought win, though the Rip Van Winkle three-year-old was moving with a swagger 400m out.

“He jumped good and got himself in a beautiful position. In the last 1,200m, he travelled very relaxed and I felt he could fight for me,” said Maia.

“At the top of the straight, he was improving and giving me a very good response.

“I didn’t expect the horse on the inside to be so difficult to pass, though, but my horse fought hard.”

A brace is never a small feat for any trainer, but it did little to erase Kok’s disappointment with his stable star’s dismal run.

Connections have harboured high hopes over Pacific Emperor as their flagbearer in most of the high-profile events in 2024, including the four-year-old majors.

But the weekend’s rude awakening may now call for a more cautious approach.

“The jockey said the distance was too sharp, but he was still disappointing,” said Kok.

“Maybe we’ll keep him to 1,400m and 1,600m. He’ll still back up in the EW Barker this Sunday.”

Pacific Emperor is weighted at 50kg in the Group 2 EW Barker Trophy (1,400m) on April 21, with Singapore champion Lim’s Kosciuszko the topweight on 59kg.

manyan@sph.com.sg