Firdaus fires $214 salvo
Trainer Mark Walker makes it one-two with Lim's Reform taking second
There was a time, not so long ago, when Mohd Firdaus thought to giving it all up. Hanging up his boots, so to speak.
Indeed, for a while, he switched them for overalls as he joined his brother's workshop in Johor Bahru.
But the lure of the turf proved too strong and earlier this year, he squeezed himself back into a pair of breeches and headed to Kranji looking for work.
Trainer Mark Walker took him in as an apprentice jockey and, since then, the Walker yard has been his workshop.
Yesterday at Kranji, Firdaus repaid his master when winning the $45,000 Victoria Peak Stakes on $214 longshot Alamosa Express.
For Walker, it meant his yard had saddled the race quinella as his more-fancied stablemate Lim's Reform dropped in for second spot.
It may not have been the order the Kiwi handler or most punters had expected, but winners are grinners, as they say.
Walker was glad a horse he had been keen to see turn the corner finally come through - and for Firdaus who was riding his first winner for him after nearly one year under his tutelage.
The Malaysian rider was one of the most promising apprentice jockeys to have crossed the Causeway to Kranji three or four years ago, but after a stellar start when he even won a Group race with In Fact (Group 3 JBBA Moonbeam Vase in 2016), he slowly slipped into oblivion.
"MM is a lovely young man to have at the stable. He is on time every day and works hard," said Walker. "He doesn't get as many rides, but he makes the most of what he gets. He rode Alamosa Express very well.
"We thought there would not be much speed in the race, and I told MM to roll forward if he could. They tried to run him down from all over the place, but he held on. Lim's Reform ran super, but that's just racing."
Firdaus said he was not sure if he would pull it off when he took a three-length break into the straight. But was glad he hung in there as wins had been hard to come by this year.
Alamosa Express was Firdaus' fourth win for the year.
"At the 500m, I could feel he still had a lot of petrol left in the tank. I didn't feel anything coming up in the last strides, I just pushed him out to the line and I'm glad the winning post came on time."
Alamosa Express and Lim's Reform quinellaed with a head separating them. King's Speech (Grant van Niekerk) also closed in late and had to settle for third place another short head away.
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