News

No computer Genius but Khoo smart at picking right rider

20th Apr 2015

*Singapore Turf Club - Michael Lee - Friday, 17 April 2015

Trainer Leslie Khoo was a happy man when the horse he had spruiked from Day 1, Genius, proved him right by taking out the $90,000 Inglis Melbourne Juvenile Stakes (1200m), the third Leg of the Singapore Horseshoe Series on Friday night, not without self-deprecatingly living to tell about his not-so-proficient computer skills.

Khoo, a former top jockey at Bukit Timah in his hey day, had long sussed out a vigorous jockey like Barend Vorster would fit Genius like a glove, while he had booked Nooresh Juglall on his second stringer Lee Man.

But with his stable clerk not around on acceptance day on Wednesday, Khoo decided to file the online booking himself. For some reason, he had the rides swapped around – Vorster on Lee Man and Juglall on Genius.

Vorster did not take long to spot the error when he took cognizance of the card and got on the phone with the bumbling trainer right away. A switcheroo quickly put the right jockey on the right horse.

Whether the other pairing would have made no difference is case for conjecture, but Khoo and Genius’ connections were glad Vorster was returned his due.

Genius ($63) and Vorster clicked as a perfect pairing, even if they were a little shuffled back in the early stage. But once Khoo’s white-faced son of Onemorenomore responded to Vorster’s trademark energetic pumping riding style, the issue was soon a foregone conclusion.

Sailing home from the 300m, Genius put paid to his two-year-old rivals in one fell swoop before getting the upperhand of Big Man (John Powell) who had tried to pinch the race from the top of the straight, to score by half-a-length.

Cerdan (Michael Rodd) ran third another 1 ½ lengths away while Khoo’s second runner Lee Man kept improving from his first two unplaced runs to finish fourth another two lengths away. The winning time was 1min 10.83secs for the 1200m on the Long Course.

“The clerk was not around and I entered the rides myself, but ended up getting it wrong instead. This tells me I should stick with training and stay away from computers!” he laughed.

“I was a jockey myself and I had already figured Barend would be the right jockey for him as he’s the type of horse who needs strong handling. So I had already picked Barend and when I got it wrong, I had to be fair and get it right.

“He’s a horse I bought myself at the Inglis sale last October and always thought he had ability. He was still very green at his first run (fourth to Morales) but he ran on well for fourth.

“I told the owners I was quite confident he could win tonight. He will definitely have a go at the other legs and his main objective is, of course, the final Leg, the Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (May 15).

“I was also very happy with Lee Man’s run. He is improving all the time.”

Khoo is slowly making a name for himself as a dab hand with “babies” as he also prepares another smart juvenile in Kubera Warrior, the winner of the first Leg and runner-up in the second Leg.

Vorster, for one, would love to stay with Genius right through the two-year-old campaign, more so it is unlikely there will not be any more mix-up next time.

“In the first Leg, I rode Celeritas but I did see that horse of Leslie’s and I knew he was a better horse,” said the South African jockey.

“He’s still very green and he got a little interfered at the start. We got further back than we wanted but he was travelling well.

“They went hard in front and that suited us. In the home straight, he wanted to come to the outside but I wanted to get him back to the inside.

“Once he found the gap, he just quickened up so well. He’s a very nice horse.”