Kranji stint for young rider
STC grants Mauritian apprentice a three-month licence
The Singapore Turf Club has granted an apprentice jockey's licence to Mauritian Brandon Louis for a period of three months.
Currently licensed by the Mauritius Turf Club, the 23-year-old Louis will ride at Kranji from Dec 17 to March 18.
He will be indentured to trainer Stephen Gray.
After beginning his apprenticeship in Mauritius in 2015, Louis made his race-riding debut one year later at the Champ de Mars, the Indian Ocean island's only racecourse.
In seven rides, Louis did not ride a winner, fuelling the mindset that his lanky 1.75m frame might not make him cut out for that profession.
But a one-month stay in Perth, Western Australia earlier this year was the trigger that turned his budding riding career around.
Under the tutelage of Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) jockey coach John Claite, Louis booted home his first career winner Miss Merit at his Australian debut in Kalgoorlie on March 30.
He ended his short stint Down Under with a smart record of six winners from 47 rides, including bowing out a winner at his last ride on Politics at Geraldton on April 29.
Shortly after, Louis returned to Mauritius where the Perth experience did not take long to show its results on his home track.
After riding his first Mauritius winner Racing For Fun on June 17, Louis added 20 more winners, tying with Jameer Allyhosain at the top of the apprentice jockey's premiership, while sitting third overall on the Mauritius jockey's championship, seven winners behind current leader Robbie Fradd.
Louis goes to scale at 53kg.
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