Irish eyes were smiling after South Australian Dux apprentice jockey Emily Finnegan scored her first Singapore win aboard Gol Goal on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Irish jockey did not taste success from five previous rides at her first two Kranji meetings, with a third place aboard Solaris Spectrum for her Kranji master Shane Baertschiger as her best showing, but she quickly made up for it by getting right on target in Sunday’s opener, the $45,000 Class 4 Non Premier race over 1400m.
Finnigan, who honed her craft in Adelaide with leading trainer Phillip Stokes, is the ninth apprentice jockey to gain further racing experience at Kranji as part of a joint agreement between the Singapore Turf Club and Thoroughbred Racing South Australia to reward their Dux from the South Australia Apprentice Academy.
Gol Goal comes from last to score in the opener, handing apprentice jockey Emily Finnegan her first win
in Singapore, picture Singapore Turf Club
From the eight previous alumni, only three did not get on the Singapore scoresheet, but Finnegan has now joined Amy Herrmann, Krystal Bishop, Jamie Kah, Jake Toeroek and Matthew Poon on the winner’s list.
While there is no doubt Finnegan can ride, what stood out even more was her composure when $14 favourite Gol Goal flopped out of the gates, but she calmly settled the Towkay five-year-old at the rear before slowly allowing the tardy beginner to improve around the field from the 600m - and sprint to the line as the finishing touch.
Gol Goal was still inclined to lay in under pressure but Finnegan again showed skills beyond her years to keep him on an even keel towards that first precious win.
El Camino (Zuriman Zulkifli) let down well to grab second place another 1 ½ lengths away. Race-leader Sun Empire (Wong Chin Chuen) did well to tow up the field but knocked up in the end to run third another 1 ¾ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 23.63secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
“I’ve waited for a week to get the monkey off the back,” said a clearly happy and relieved Finnegan.
“I’ve worked this horse and he is the quietest gem in trackwork, but Shane told me he can be slow out of the gates and I was prepared for that. I just let him find his own feet, find his own rhythm and let him do his best work late.
“He was laying in in the straight, but he was too good in the end, and did the rest. Shane has trained this horse to perfection.”
Finnegan said she has really settled in very well at Kranji, which has its idiosyncrasies, but also some similarities which do help her find her bearings.
“It’s a lovely place to ride at. The Polytrack rides different, but the long run is similar to the one at Balaklava,” she said.
“Shane has been very good to me, supporting me with rides where he can. I hope to ride a few more winners before I go.”
Last year’s Adelaide champion apprentice jockey will ride at one more weekend next week before heading back to Adelaide where she would be hoping main rival Raquel Clark has not widened the gap in the apprentice jockey’s log by too much.
The margin was 6 ½ wins before she flew for Singapore and it has now increased to 8 ½ wins.
A clearly impressed Baertschiger for one would definitely be putting the plucky lass on a few more horses before she leaves.
“Emily has done everything right since she’s joined us. She hasn’t received much support from trainers outside, but I’m happy to put her on,” said the Australian handler who has thus far supplied six of her 10 rides.
“She rode Gol Goal a treat. This horse always misses the kick and I told her not to worry about that, he’s best ridden quiet.
“She took him to the outside and got the job done.”
Previously known as Sacred Army, Gol Goal has now recorded two wins and seven placings from 21 starts for stakes earnings around the $120,000 mark for the H & M Stable.
