The Clarton Super team of trainer Tan Kah Soon and jockey Azhar Ismail recombined for another win on Friday night.
It is unlikely the $45,000 Class 4 Non Premier race over 1100m won by Ocean General will give the duo the same thrill as Clarton Super’s Group 2 EW Barker Trophy and Group 3 Fortune Bowl triumphs, two big-race wins recorded in the short period of six months that Tan had opened shop at Kranji.
But a win is a win, especially for the former Godolphin assistant-trainer who has made it clear from Day 1 that the backbone of his fledgling yard would in its first year or so be made up of tried horses from other stables, while slowly adding in his own acquisitions with time.
Ocean General (Azhar Ismail, No 6) fends off Royal Guard (John Powell, obscured) to take out Race 3, picture Singapore Turf Club
The Penangite’s sixth career winner (and third this season), a Zizou seven-year-old, was first known as Rappor when a two-time winner for his first trainer Theo Kieser before being renamed as Ocean General when he won another three races for Tan Hor Khoon (two) and Leticia Dragon.
After taking over the Super Rich Stable-owned grey in January, Tan has not taken too long to suss his new charge out, not without some tinkering with the headgear.
“That’s his third run for me. At his first run, he ran two weeks after he came from Leticia, and he got stirred up at the gates,” said Tan.
“I’m not sure if it had anything to do with his history of heat stress, but (Mohd) Zaki did say he got wound up.
“We took him back and worked on him at the barriers. His last two starts were better, though at a test without blinkers, he wasn’t very switched on, said the rider.
“Anyway, he had the blinkers back on tonight, he was fitter and he won a nice race.”
Mindful of Ocean General’s inclination to come undone under the heat, the hands-on trainer was seen quickly ungirthing the grey at his return to scales, and made sure he headed straight to a refreshing hose-down.
Azhar said he thought he would be collecting minor prizemoney when Prince Alexander (Barend Vorster) swept past at the 300m, but realised he had been too hasty to judge his mount. Digging his heels in, Ocean General ($55) clawed his way back in before staving off the fast-finishing Royal Guard (John Powell) by a short head.
Prince Alexander lost no marks even if he plateaued off late to finish third another three parts of a length away. The winning time was 1min 6.7secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.
“The plan was to sit in the first three and I was happy to be tracking the leader (Red General),” said Azhar after he jumped off his fifth winner for the year.
“He was winding up nicely but when David Hill’s horse (Prince Alexander) horse headed us, I thought we would lose, but he surprised me with the way he fought back.
“It was a very gutsy win.”
Ocean General has now amassed close to $350,000 in stakes money for his connections.
