Kok's small team yield juicy double

He is another one of those “quiet achievers” at the racecourse.

You do not get to see photographers chasing after him. 

He is a shy man when you corner him for an interview.

Indeed, come to think of it, you never see him carrying a scowl.

Trainer David Kok is not in the big league. But he is happy with the cards that he has been dealt.

While he could do with a few more “aces” in the pack, he is doing pretty well with the hand he holds.

“I do not have many horses. Twenty-one at last count,” he said. “But I have some good owners and I am happy and grateful for their support.”

One of those “good owners” just happens to be the RSTC Stable – or the Royal Sabah Turf Club.

Indeed, their colours were prominent on Kranji Mile Day on Saturday. The chairman and his entourage were in town and got to lead in two winners, Leggenda ($43) and Win Win ($57).

The pair gave Kok his third double in eight months. It was last September when he sent out Happy Moment and Leggenda to win. 

He repeated that effort in March, again with Happy Moment and Star Empire.

“Yes, I remember all three occasions,” he said. 

“When you have a small yard like mine, you do not forget those moments. They are priceless.

“Winners are hard to come by. So, when the stable gets it right, it lifts morale in the yard and everyone is happy.

“With the exception of Happy Moment and Star Empire, who race in the colours of my loyal supporters, W.K. Sia and H.K. Ting, the other horses who won on those days all wore the colours of the Royal Sabah Turf Club.

“I must say, that as owners, the RSTC are the best. During Covid, when times were bad and it was very hard to get owners, they supported me and I am always happy when their horses win.”

Both of Kok’s winners on Saturday were ridden by Oscar Chavez.

Asked if there was a special affinity between him and the Panama-born Singaprean, Kok said, with a laugh: “Chavez is a good rider. I put him on RSTC’s horses and my owners have been happy with him. So I try to use him as much as possible.”

This season, Kok has saddled nine winners and seven of those were ridden by Chavez.

It was fitting that Kok pulled off a double on Kranji Mile Day. 

After all, it was nine years ago, in 2013, that Kok’s Cash Luck lifted the Kranji Mile trophy.

In the following years, Kok would go on to add a few more cups to his trophy cabinet. Like the Moonbeam Vase with Cash Luck in 2014, the Patron’s Bowl and the Emirates Singapore Derby in 2016.

The horse who did it was Well Done. Yes, well done, indeed.

Born in Ipoh but now a Singaporean, Kok has had a long association with racing. As a 22-year-old in 1995, he started off as a syce.

For two years, he worked for trainer Michael Kent. He transferred over to trainer Charles Leck in 1997 and became his “B” trainer, before eventually securing his “A” trainer’s licence in 2009.

A trainer for 13 years, Kok will not trade it for anything else.

“It is what I enjoy doing. It is tough, but it brings me great satisfaction – especially when things fall in place, like they did with Leggenda and Win Win last Saturday,” he said.