Not going without parting $432 Shot

Singapore Turf Club assistant steward Noh Senari was the first to praise apprentice jockey Sazali Ramli about his ambidexterity after his thrilling last-gasp win on Sept 14.

“Well done, I saw you change your whip to the left hand. It sure helped your horse win,” said Noh, a former jockey.

The horse in question was a $432 rank outsider, the David Kok-trained Screen Shot who, from making heavy weather of it at the 300m of the $50,000 Class 4 race (1,700m), suddenly started to lengthen up.

He lunged late to beat Red Dragon (Wong Chin Chuen) by a nose.

A right-hander, Sazali decided to turn southpaw, more by design than by instinct. He had watched the common manoeuvre on YouTube, albeit his was not as slick.

“The horse wanted to back off. I then switched the whip to the left hand, and he found another gear,” said Sazali, whose master is trainer Steven Burridge.

“I watched many videos and saw jockeys do that. Before that, I seldom used the whip in the left hand.

“It’s good to know that it worked.”

If that was the good news, Noh also had “bad news” – which Sazali already knew about in any case.

“But you’ve picked it up at a time when racing is closing. Such a waste,” said Noh.

It was hard to tell how Sazali responded to the second part of Noh’s compliment.

On one hand, to receive such encouragement from one of the most promising local riders in the late 2010s can only spur him to do better.

Though 34, Sazali is still considered a greenhorn for someone who began his career nine years ago.

The record of three wins in 107 rides tells the story. He gave the game away after only 31 rides that yielded one solitary win aboard Kevin Eleven, lasting only 10 months between 2015 and 2016.

Six years later, he wanted back in. He returned to the saddle in 2024, but always knew his time in it would be fleeting, this time not by choice.

When his application for an apprentice’s licence was approved in November 2023, the news had long come out that Kranji would put up the shutters on Oct 5, 2024.

Having been in and out of racing before, Sazali probably does not feel the pinch as badly as some of his peers.

Still, Noh’s words presented an oxymoron that he found hard to grapple with. He could have had a future in a career with no future.

Nonetheless, his resolve to move on was not shaken. Unlike some local jockeys who will continue riding or pivot to another racing job in Malaysia, Sazali is hanging up his boots for good.

In around three months’ time, instead of worrying about using the whip in either hand or watching his horse’s nearside or offside gait, Sazali’s new jargon for left and right will be port and starboard.

The father of four has found a job as a marine assistant with port operator PSA Singapore.

He will basically be working on a boat, performing tasks such as mooring ropes, or embarking and disembarking passengers, among others.

“I don’t have any experience in the marine industry. I got some contacts and got the job,” said Sazali, who used to work as a pest control officer before becoming a jockey.

“I returned to riding because I missed it and I love this job. But I’m really tired of this closure thing, it’s been too stressful. I won’t ride any more.

“I still have to put food on the table for my family. I consider myself lucky I found a job rather quickly.

“We’ve got only three meetings left. I wanted that first winner back (Stop The Water on Aug 4) and today I got a bonus with this winner who was totally unexpected.

“It’d be great if I can ride one more, but I’m leaving with no regrets. I’ll take a break of two months and will start my new job after that.”

manyan@sph.com.sg