Big day for the Little Man
Olivier Placais has now scored twice on the Lee Freedman-trained galloper
It didn't look like it would be a good day at the office for the Frenchman, Olivier Placais.
Booked for five rides in the nine-race card at Kranji on Sunday, Placais had drawn a blank in four of them.
But he knew he had a solid banker in the last and, so it was, he had a smile plastered on his face when he steered Little Big Man to a resounding victory in the last race of the day.
Not only had the Showcasing five-year-old's win in the $60,000 Class 4 Premier race save his day, he was also glad he had got back on a horse he seems to have forged a successful rapport with.
After all, Placais has now won twice on the three occasions he has been associated with the Thai-owned and Lee Freedman-trained galloper.
Nooresh Juglall was the one aboard Little Big Man when a fast-finishing third to Nimitz in a similar Class 4 Premier race over 1,400m three weeks ago. But "The Conductor" - as he is affectionately known at Kranji - was back in the saddle on Sunday, and to winning effect.
I was in eight in the gates, but he had a nice run in transit. Once he saw daylight, he pinged very well for a very nice win.Jockey Olivier Placais, on Little Big Man
Placais was indeed grateful for the nod from connections as he could not ride Little Big Man at that last race, having already committed to Hideyuki Takaoka's Higher Soul - who incidentally ran fifth that day.
"I like to thank Mr Freedman and the owner, for putting me back on as they didn't have to," he said.
"I like this horse a lot but, at that last start, I had already accepted another ride for Mr Takaoka at his last start, and I couldn't come back on my words. I never do that, anyway.
"I won on him once and the last time I rode him, he was on Polytrack and he doesn't like that.
"I thought he was my best chance on Sunday - even if I also gave Cerdan (also trained by Freedman) a good chance, too, but his run was too bad to be true, though he also lost a shoe."
Cerdan finished last of 10 in Race 5.
"I galloped Little Big Man last Wednesday and I was confident of his chances - more so when the field was not overly strong.
"I was in eight in the gates, but he had a nice run in transit. Once he saw daylight, he pinged very well for a very nice win."
Placais needn't have worried too much about whether he would be reinstated on Little Big Man as Freedman said he was the first name he thought of when the handicaps came out.
"Olivier gets on very well with this horse and he rode him very well again," said the Australian mentor.
"He's a horse who loves 1,400m on turf. He goes remarkably well on that course and distance. What's for sure is he won't run on the Polytrack again."
With that fourth win, Little Big Man has now taken his prizemoney past the $200,000 mark.
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