Century old but Gold Cup still glitters

It was a Sunday. Sept 30, 1984. Hong Kong jockey Tony Cruz flew into Singapore at 2.15am.

Twelve hours later, he was at the Bukit Timah Racecourse, and by 4pm, the flashy champion hoop was astride Big Chief as the field for the Singapore Gold Cup made its way to the start.

Ten minutes later, they were off and running – 19 of the most classy chunks of horseflesh this side of Asia.

The pace was hot as they jostled for positions. From the packed grandstands, it was a sea of bobbing bottoms and colourful silks.

Cruz played it cool. He only made his move before the final bend and he soon had the field covered.

A few cracks of the whip saw Big Chief swooping on the leaders, and he had the race sewn up with 200m to go.

“It is a dream come true. None of this would have happened if not for trainer Ivan Allan,” gushed Cruz, now a training legend in his native land.

For the record, Big Chief was one of Allan’s record nine Singapore Gold Cups, starting with Firebrand in 1973 and culminating with Danzadancer in 1990.

Well, like it has happened so often before, a horseman’s dream had become reality. And, again, it was all about the time-honoured Singapore Gold Cup.

Through the years, and we are talking about a race which has been around since 1924, the Gold Cup has captivated and is ingrained in the collective memory of all connectedto the industry – owners, trainers, jockeys and the generalpublic.

It has seen action on three racecourses. Farrer Park, Bukit Timah and, now, Kranji.

Its aura has not diminishedand, along the way,it has thrown up nuggets which racegoers devour with relish and fondly remember.

Like, ask them who was the first local jockey to have ridden a Gold Cup winner and they yell out the name Abdul Mawi.

He won the 1958 edition on a horse named Straits Code, who was trained by Rinus van Breukelen – which brings up another piece of Gold Cup trivia.

As a family, the van Breukelens – Marinus, Rinus and Eddie – chalked up an incredible streak of 14 successes, with Rinus and Marinus accounting for five “Golden” moments apiece.

But they paled in comparison to the late seven-time Malayan Racing Association champion’s achievements.

In 1981, Allan saddled Taman Singapura to win the Gold Cup.

And, while it was the loud cheers of “yam seng” for jockey Gerry Donnelly, it was heartbreakfor another rider, Paula Wagg.

Even before the jump off, the vivacious Australian jockey had already made history by becomingthe first woman to ride in the Gold Cup.

She came close to making it a fairy-tale success when her mount, Sheringham, finished second to Taman Singapura.

New Zealander Kim Clapperton was to become the one and only woman jockey to capture Singapore’s premier classic, aboard Grand Jury in 1995.

On Saturday, Australian Jamie Kah will be bidding to be the next woman to etch her name in the annals of the Gold Cup.

She has a live chance on the Jerome Tan-trained last-start Queen Elizabeth II Cup runner-up, Sacred Croix.

Through the years, only three jockeys have managed to win three Gold Cups. They are Australians Tommy Farthing, Alan Trevena and Ronnie Stewart.

Stewart, who will ride Cyclone in the big race on Saturday, won on thesame horse – the Hideyuki Takaoka-trained El Dorado – in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

El Dorado is also credited as being just the second horse to have won the race three times, after the great Three Rings (in 1954, 1956 and 1957).

Winners aside, the Gold Cup race also throws up hard-luck stories.

In 2010, a $222 outsider named Tell A Tale nearly won bragging rights. Alas, he was put to the sword by Risky Business.

Then, in the 2015 edition, Fastnet Dragon, the $22 equal favourite, hit the front at the furlong mark, only to be swampedby $51 outsider Cooptado. He lost by just a head.

Yes, the Singapore Gold Cup throws up great story lines for the winners and the winning connections.

But it takes more than one horse to make a race.

So, come Saturday, pump your fists and raise a cheer for the winner.

But, also spare a thought and give a round of applause to the beaten brigade as they are – unceremoniously – led back to their barns.

For they, too, would have run the race of their lives.