Grylls fires up 2 cross-border wins

Leading New Zealand jockey Craig Grylls could not complete his main missions on either side of the Causeway last weekend, but neither did he return home empty-handed.

The former Singapore Turf Club licensee was returning to his old Kranji base for the first time since his two-year stint from 2017 to 2018 when he netted 44 winners. Heliosphere was his last winning ride on Dec 8, 2018.

Grylls was flown in by the Falcon Racing Stable for a double-barrelled weekend attack – February in the $150,000 Group 2 Singapore Guineas (1,600m) at Kranji on Saturday and Sincerely in the RM150,000 (S$44,100) Malaysian Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Unfortunately, neither prevailed, but Grylls was still able to make the whistle-stop visits count with at least one winner on either undercard – Te Akau Ben in Kranji and Whiz Fizz in Sungei Besi.

The amiable rider said he was “chuffed” when the job offers came out of nowhere, even more so when the hectic back-to-back travels returned two winners, including a first box ticked in Malaysia.

“I was chuffed when the offer came up. We’re coming into the winter, and there wasn’t much going on,” said Grylls.

“I also asked if I could get a few spare rides and Donna Logan had a couple for me (Te Akau Ben and Entertainer). It’s panned out well with two winners.”

“They also asked if I’d like to ride a horse of theirs in a Group race in Malaysia. I thought I might as well, as I’ve never ridden there.”

Grylls kept fond memories of his Singapore sojourn, but a comeback had not really been on his wish list.

He would not mind another hit-and-run raid or two, but not the hard grind of another full season.

“Since I left, I always thought I’d love to come back one day, it’s a good place to ride,” he said.

“But, to be honest, I was not really thinking about it until the opportunity arose. I’ve been doing really well back home in the last three to four years.

“I got into the Top 10 shortly after I returned, and I’ve been in the Top Three in the last couple of seasons. This year, I sit second and I just won a Group 1 race after the winner was disqualified.”

Grylls’ ride Ulanova finished second to Te Akau’s Tokyo Tycoon in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1,200m) at Pukekohe on March 11.

But, after Tokyo Tycoon returned positive to meloxicam, the race was awarded to Ulanova on May 19, incidentally handing Coin Toss’ owner Gandharvi Stable a first Group 1 win in New Zealand.

It was a much less dramatic affair in the $50,000 Affleck 2015 Stakes Class 4 (1,400m), but Grylls’ polish showed in the way he manoeuvred $91 shot Te Akau Ben home without going around runners.

“I was drawn one on Te Akau Ben. The leader didn’t really want to cross, so I sat on his inside,” said Grylls.

“He was travelling comfortably, he kicked really strong to the line.”

A fourth place on Entertainer four races later just kept him ticking over towards the piece de resistance, but February did not fare any better in the Singapore Guineas.

The son of Sacred Falls tailed off early before passing a few tired runners on his way to finishing eighth, more than eight lengths off the victor Coin Toss.

To Grylls, the third leg of the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge has come up too soon for February.

“He was hard to recommend on his form, but Stephen Gray said he was a quality horse. As he is by Sacred Falls, he is a staying horse in the making,” he said.

“If it rained on the day, it would have helped, too. Like all Sacred Falls, they like the cut out of the ground.

“He’s still immature, he was lost early and was struggling to keep up, but he went through the ground well in the end. He hit the line good and was not beaten far.

“He’s a very nice horse who’ll get better once he matures.”

Booked on four rides up North, Grylls was heading towards a quiet Malaysian afternoon until the former James Peters-trained Whiz Fizz took out the last race from pillar to post.

“(Trainer) Simon (Dunderdale) told me to ride him positive and he was strong to the line,” said Grylls.

The two wins certainly made the South-east Asian fly-in, fly-out trip worth it, even if he barely had time for a breather until Monday.

“I’m buggered as I finished late last night before I flew back to Singapore,” he said.

“It was good catching up with some old friends in Singapore. It’s free and easy before I fly back home tonight.

“But I’ll be busy again once I get home. I’ve got seven rides at Canterbury on Wednesday, and on Thursday, it’s Awapuni.”