Sunday’s race meeting will see the Singapore riding debut of a new Malaysian apprentice jockey – Lim Aun Kean.
The former 2016 Malaysian champion apprentice jockey has transferred his indentures from Kuala Lumpur trainer Wayne Lim Woei Chet (WC) to Kranji trainer John O’Hara and was granted a six-month licence by the Singapore Turf Club until the end of the year.
AK (as he is better known as) Lim therefore launches his career across the Causeway on his first official day of his tenure on Sunday with a book of three rides – two for his new master, Dominy (Race 1) and Satellite Winner (Race 7) and one for Bruce Marsh (who is O’Hara’s next-door neighbour at the stabling blocks), Southern Glory (Race 9).
Malaysian apprentice jockey Lim Aun Kean aboard one of his favourite horses, Field Force (photo
courtesy of Lim Aun Kean).
The Kedah-born rider only arrives in Singapore on Saturday, and was already buzzing with excitement at the dawn of an adventure he said he had been dreaming of for a while.
“I’ve been thinking of coming to Singapore to ride for a long time already,” said Lim, who has 106 winners on board and claims one kilo.
“As I was getting closer to turning professional, I thought it was the right time to make the move.
“It was actually in 2014 that I started having the idea of going overseas to try my luck. I was invited to ride at the Macau Apprentice Jockeys Invitation Race (MAJIR) and won one race on a horse called Sunshine Pantheon.
“I remember Tengku Rehaizat (former 2012 Singapore champion apprentice jockey) was one of the participants.
“It was a good experience to ride against apprentice jockeys from Asia and Australia, but after I won on a horse I didn’t know, I told myself maybe I am cut out to ride overseas.
“Singapore is the closest and it’s got good prizemoney. It was the obvious choice and I’m really grateful to the Singapore Turf Club for having given me a licence.”
Lim Aun Kean (fifth from right) at the 2014 Macau Apprentice Jockeys Invitation Race. Tengku Rehaizat is third from right. The overall winner was
Australian rider Harry Coffey (left).
But the one single person Lim remains most indebted to is his former mentor, WC Lim (of no relation) – a complete stranger until nine years ago - the brother of former jockey and now assistant-trainer to Steven Burridge, Richard Lim.
At 30, Lim would be categorised as a “mature apprentice jockey”, but he had an interesting anecdote to explain how he came late into the industry – almost like he has been “waiting for” that benefactor in 2009.
“WC Lim was a regular customer at a Club in Ipoh where I worked as a waiter. Though he was a familiar face, I didn’t know him well, but he chatted with me one day and told me I could become a jockey as I was quite small,” recalled Lim who did not come from a racing background.
“I’ve never followed racing and didn’t even know what a jockey was! He asked me if I was interested to give it a try.
“At the time, I was 21 and I was given an opportunity to try something new and I thought why not.”
Soon after that talk, Lim joined WC Lim as a track rider at his former yard where he was then assistant-trainer to Abdul Rahim before joining him in Kuala Lumpur in 2013 when WC Lim received his trainer’s licence and moved down to the Malaysian capital.
After Lim’s first ride in September 2013, it wasn’t too long before the former waiter bagged his first winner, Tycoon Castle for his boss in a Class 5 race over 1600m at Kuala Lumpur on January 25, 2014. Lim has since gone on to pad up his tally with 105 more winners, including a couple of trophy races, and claiming the supreme title in 2016 on 33 winners.
Lim, whose mother and elder sister passed away, has an elderly father he and his elder brother look after. With this new chapter in his riding career opening up, he is hoping for both better opportunities and a better life for himself and his family.
“I’m very excited with this new opportunity. I can’t wait for Sunday to have my first rides,” said Lim, who ranks the Leong Poh Keong-trained Field Force, a horse he won five times with, as one of his favourites.
“I know I got three rides but I obviously don’t know them. I will leave it to Mr O’Hara and Mr Marsh to give me the instructions on Sunday, and let’s hope I can get off to a winning start.”
O’Hara, who is already the master of current leading apprentice jockey Troy See, was pleased to welcome a new rookie to the fold.
“I haven’t met AK yet as he comes in on Saturday. His licence only starts on Sunday,” said the Singaporean handler.
“I don’t know him but from what I know, he has won over 100 races and seems to have good hands. Let’s hope he goes all right.”
