Five-star day for trainer Lim

Richard Lim enjoyed his best day at the office on Dec 17 when he saddled five winners at Kranji.

The jockey-turned-trainer said he did experience a similar score in Ipoh as a rider. But he was then a young apprentice jockey who could not quite grasp the magnitude of such a feat as he does some two decades later.

“I can’t remember the date or the winners. I know it was in Ipoh and there were seven races,” he said.

“It’s my first five-timer as a trainer. I won’t forget that day.”

The prolific meeting got off to a flier with a $231 stunner in Smart Gambit in the opener, before less surprising winners followed suit.

Crown Dancing ($16), Takhi ($85), Super Salute ($11) and Groovy ($64) in the last, wrapped up a day that Lim will probably rank up with his win as a jockey aboard King And King in the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup before the late monarch herself in 2006.

Lim’s best score before that red-letter day was a treble at his first season in his new role in 2022.

Following a stable upsize in July, many observers expected Lim to net such a big haul one day.

A lot had been riding on the significant boost brought by the arrival of most of his ex-boss Jason Lim’s horses in the wake of his 18-month disqualification for a steroid case.

Lim’s yield had indeed improved by leaps and bounds, with 10 of his 18 winners in the last five months hailing from Jason, almost trebling his pre-Jason score to 28 winners.

But the cherry missing from the top was a big day out. It has come off at the penultimate meeting.

Lim was already over the moon when Super Salute sprinted off to a ¾-length win in the $100,000 Class 1 race (1,400m).

Not only had he long been yearning for a breakthrough from Jason’s best horse under his banner – only four placings thus far from the dual-Group winner in five tries – but the drought-breaker also rang in a fourth winner, bettering his previous score by the same token.

Lim, 42, was already contented, but had a sneaky suspicion the day could get even better. Two of his three runners in the last race, the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race (1,200m), Southern Speed and Groovy, had legitimate chances.

It was the less fancied Groovy who finished the best to give Amirul Ismadi a winning pick-up ride, and Lim the best ride of his life.

Amid high-fives with the Swiss Ace four-year-old’s owners, as well as fellow trainers, Lim needed some time for the feat to sink in.

“I expected a good day today. Super Salute and Crown Dancing were among those I thought had a good chance,” he said.

“I was actually not that surprised with Smart Gambit. This horse always works good, but has not run to expectations thus far.

“We found a problem with him, changed his gear by adding earmuffs and a crossover noseband.

“He still failed at his last start, but today, things worked out well. Sometimes, we just need the luck for such a result, and we had it today.

“I’ll have dinner with my owners, mostly Super Salute’s. We’ll definitely celebrate late into the night.”

Lim said the stars were aligned for the I Am Invincible five-year-old, more so when another star was knocked off.

“I got more confident when Golden Monkey was scratched,” he said.

“We were hoping for a lot of speed and we got it. On the long course, he had plenty of time to catch the leader (Silent Is Gold).

“I’m very happy I’ve finally won a race with Super Salute. He’ll now go for the New Year Cup (Jan 6).”

The traditional season curtain raiser makes its comeback after a three-year hiatus, mainly due to Covid-19. The Group 3 Polytrack 1,200m race was last won by Nowyousee for Tan Kah Soon in 2020.

Super Salute’s win was a first for Lim, but was his eighth overall, and seventh for Manoel Nunes.

The five-time Singapore champion jockey – who sealed a treble after combining earlier with Lim on Crown Dancing and Takhi – said that Super Salute had been a little overcooked at his previous starts.

“He was flat in the Merlion Trophy and the freshen-up helped him. He was 110 per cent this time,” said the Brazilian ace.

“I knew there would be speed, and on the long course, I was confident I could catch the leader.

“He was giving weight at the handicap, but he tracked the right horse. He’s such a trier.”

manyan@sph.com.sg