Meet Logan’s force with a name: Aloysius

Screams of “come on, Louis” boomed from the trainer’s room in Race 12 last Saturday, but the resuming Reignite fell agonisingly short by ½-length.

“It’s been 11 months. He nearly won,” assistant trainer Aloysius Hamsha exclaimed in frustration, referring to the time the Sebring five-year-old has been off the scene.

It was also the first week Aloysius, his fellow B trainer Jasuli Sulaiman and stable supervisor Chihiro Iizuka were left in charge of the stables after trainer Donna Logan went for a one-month holiday in Europe.

A winner – the other four runners did not fare any better – to show the boss that the office was in safe hands could not have come as a better vote of confidence.

On a more personal note, Aloysius would have also got a nice belated 38th birthday present if only Reignite’s rider Louis-Philippe Beuzelin had found an out earlier, and the eventual winner Pacific Emperor had shortened strides at the same time.

But the trio still have three more race meetings to make up for it.

On Sunday, Aloysius will be even busier with a squad of 10 runners spread over eight races, including a pair in a Group event – Montana Flash and Ahorsewithnoname in the second leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, the $150,000 Group 2 Stewards’ Cup (1,600m).

After starting from scratch as a syce with the late multiple-champion trainer Laurie Laxon 10 years ago, Aloysius has matured into an articulate and competent horseman.

While Logan remains the captain of the ship, for example, when it comes to picking which horses to race, her laissez-faire style gives her aides a certain degree of freedom in other areas.

“Donna still keeps track of what’s happening, even if she has not been able to call as often because of network issues,” said Aloysius.

“As I’ve always wanted to become a trainer on my own, I was excited to get the opportunity to run the stables with my colleagues Jasuli and Chi.

“It was an eye opener. We have to make our own decisions when the boss is away, like look for jockeys according to the horses.

“We have to be accountable to the owners as well.”

Two of them are Hong Kong owner Ben Kwok Chun Wai (Montana Flash) and Joe Singh (Ahorsewithnoname). Obviously, Logan has been dealing with both very closely in the run-up.

But she had to rely on the eyes and ears of Aloysius, Jasuli and Iizuka for the final decision as well as the finishing touches.

“We had a soft plan to target Montana Flash towards the second leg,” said Aloysius of the one-time winner by Star Turn.

“But he had a splint injury which interrupted his last prep. We had to back him off.

“Luckily, he came right and has been working and racing well since.”

A tilt at Group level still felt too ambitious, but Montana Flash’s eye-catching second at his last start in a Class 4 race (1,400m) on June 11 – when he came from near-last to beat all but Sacred Judgement – swayed Logan and Kwok in daring to dream.

“You turn four only once. Let’s see how he runs in the Stewards’ Cup,” said Aloysius who joined Logan from Mark Walker in 2022 and became her B trainer shortly after.

“If all else fails, he is eligible for a Class 4 race, either 1,400m or 1,600m, on July 23 on Derby day.”

Save for that one win in weak Open Maiden company, Ahorsewithnoname has not quite put her name up in lights.

But Aloysius said Singh has a gut feeling about the Adelaide mare he bred out of his Street Sense mare Me No Marsh Potato.

“She’s won only one race, she’s bred to go further. Joe wants to run her in both legs,” said Aloysius.

“Blinkers first time will hopefully help her focus better. If she can get a quiet run up front, we hope she can come back underneath and she can stay.

“I don’t think she can win against horses like Super Salute (first leg winner) and Golden Monkey, but if she can run into the minor placings, we’d be very happy.”

While the Stewards’ Cup might not be the race to give Aloysius goosebumps inside the last 200m, the day’s two Restricted Maiden races over 1,200m should.

Artillery and Santino, respectively second and third to Silo in the unofficial “first leg” of the 2YO series on June 3, will not clash with each other this time.

“The plan was always to race them separately if they split into two divisions on Sunday,” said Aloysius.

“Artillery has improved a lot since his second place on debut while Santino has matured a fair bit. Donna has a soft spot for Santino.

“She reckons he will get further, but not at his stage. He has a sprint in his legs now.”