Richard's dream comes true

Relief, more than anything else, was former champion jockey Richard Lim’s reaction after he received the letter that he was granted 30 stables by the Singapore Turf Club.

Finally, he has realised his dream of becoming a trainer in his own capacity, after being supervisor and deputy to Steven Burridge for four years and Jason Lim for 11/2 years.

Born in Butterworth in Penang, the 2000 Malaysia champion jockey gave up riding in 2015 because of weight problems, to pursue training as a follow-up career. He applied for stables the last two years and was disappointed many times.

“When I got the news, I was very happy, of course. It’s kind of a relief, actually,” said the 40-year-old naturalised Singaporean.

“I’ve waited very long for this. I kept applying for the stables, since I got the licence two years ago. But I was unlucky, with the pandemic and other issues, until this time.

“I have been disappointed so many times, I was first in line. I couldn’t confirm it until I saw my name on the letter. I couldn’t believe it. It’s a big relief, actually.”

Training has been the natural progression for many jockeys. Some make it, some do not. Lim is hoping for the best.

“When I stepped down from riding, I already planned to go into training. I do miss riding, but I was getting too heavy and faced weight problems,” he said.

“I gave up once but made a comeback. But I had to go on strict diets just to ride the topweight. I knew sooner or later I had to give up, so I eventually did.”

For a start, Lim will have 15 horses – 13 transferred from Jason Lim and two from trainer Young Keah Yong. He will be buying some horses for a couple of his investors.

Among those coming over will be Sunday’s hat-trick winner First Chief (see story on next page). Two-time Kranji winner Songgong Hera, the most progressive of the transfers, will also be joining him.

Songgong Hera and a few other horses are likely to kick off his first meeting the following Saturday.

He could not file any runner this Saturday as he will move into his stables only tomorrow and entries closed yesterday.

“Songgong Hera has always shown form. But, after he came out from the racing break, I trialled him and wanted to run him. But I was not happy with his trial,” said Lim.

“I trialled him again and he did improve. But it was still not up to my expectations, so I am holding him for next week.”

Like most jockeys turned trainers, he has found his second racing career completely different. 

The jockey just rides trackwork, gives feedback and competes in the races with instructions from the trainer. His job is done.

But a trainer has more to handle – a string of horses to prepare, staff, paperwork, owners to report to, among others.

“When I gave up riding, I thought training is very easy. But I realised that there are a lot of things to learn,” said Lim, who is married to Vivian Tan, 40. The couple have a daughter Victoria, 10, and a son Kingsley, eight.

“But I was lucky to have picked up a lot of pointers from Steven Burridge. I thank him for giving me so many opportunities to do things hands-on when I was with him.”

Lim, who rode four winners in Western Australia during his apprenticeship there and then returned to be the Malaysian champion with 42 winners in his first season in 2000, chalked up 262 winners in his 16-year career.

His major victories include the 2007 Group 2 EW Barker Trophy aboard World Airlines and two Tunku Gold Cups in Kuala Lumpur on After Me Please (2002) and Golden Rainbow (2006).

But his most memorable moment was after winning the 2006 Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup aboard the aptly named King And King, who was trained by Burridge.

Then, he was the envy of many. He got to shake hands with the British monarch, who was on a state visit to Singapore.

Recalling fondly, he said: “Actually, I didn’t know the Queen was in town. I never read the newspapers. I only realised after I won. 

“I cannot describe the feelings when I shook hands with the Queen. It was surreal. It was something money cannot buy.”

May your dream continue.

Crutchley also gets 30 stables

Besides Lim, the Singapore Turf Club has also granted 30 stables to New Zealander Stephen Crutchley.

The 54-year-old is no stranger to Singapore racegoers, having been on the circuit for many years. His last attachment was as deputy to Singaporean trainer Leslie Khoo.

He moved to Singapore in 2014, joining Mark Walker as stable manager to owner Constance Cheng of Toast Trusts Stable. He then moved around yards as assistant trainer to John O’Hara (twice), Theo Kieser (since left) and more recently Khoo.

Crutchley was also active as a horse seller in New Zealand, with 2013 Group 3 Paititi Gold Trophy winner Makkura the most famous of the horses he sold to Singapore. He kept a share with Toast Trusts Stable.

Besides Makkura, Crutchley is also associated with the stable’s 2019 Group 2 EW Barker Trophy winner Fame Star.

A seven-year-old American-bred, Fame Star has been a real money-spinner. From 34 starts, he won eight races. He was second on nine occasions and third four times. He has amassed a whopping $700,000 in prize money.

Currently, Crutchley has 12 horses, mostly Cheng’s. He expects to have 20 new horses filling up his stable by year’s end.

Before coming to Singapore, he was a trainer in Whanganui from 2002 to 2014. He saddled about 115 winners, the most notable being Mi Jubilee, with whom he captured the Group 1 Ellerslie Sires Produce and the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes in 2005. He also saddled Rhysess to victory in the Group 3 Cuddle Stakes in 2006.

There is a vacuum in the training ranks at Kranji after Australians Lee Freedman and Cliff Brown and New Zealander Mark Walker returned to their respective countries last year.

Freedman, the 2018 Singapore champion, and Brown pulled the plug with far fewer race meetings and major races either dropped or had their prize money drastically reduced. There was no more incentive to remain in Singapore.

Walker, who won his fourth Singapore premiership last season, might have lamented the decline in Singapore racing, but he has another good reason to return to his native land, where he was also champion five times.

He went back to assist his New Zealand associate, David Ellis, after the powerful Te Akau Stable’s frontman’s head trainer, Jamie Richards, relocated to Hong Kong.