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Hat-trick hero da Silva lets his riding do the talking

3 minute read

Early talks of former Kranji kingpin Joao Moreira’s next heir apparent may be a touch premature, but Brazilian jockey Antonio da Silva’s riding treble on Sunday had some observers talking up the newcomer in that direction.

Cactus Jack winning the INITIATION
Cactus Jack winning the INITIATION Picture: Singapore Turf Club

Fellow countrymen, reigning Singapore champion jockey and current runaway leader Manoel Nunes, and to a lesser extent, Ivaldo Santana had done a fine job filling the big boots left by the mercurial record-breaking Brazilian and four-time Singapore champion jockey, when he left for Hong Kong in 2013, but da Silva seems to be the closest, not so much in terms of riding style, but more the immediate impact he has made.

Granted, the 27-year-old went through two blank meetings following his debut winner Stick Seeker at his first day of riding on October 18, but to be fair, quality and quantity were somehow lacking.

But not this weekend, when he could count on a better book of rides on his side. Da Silva got off to a flier on $16 favourite Rosegold in the first race, the $35,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1400m before springing an $108 upset three races later in the $65,000 Initiation race over 1200m, then going back-to-back with another top fancy with Happy Saga ($26) in the $35,000 Class 5 race over 1400m.

Da Silva, a winner of over 700 races in Brazil including seven at Group 1 level, is certainly a polished rider from the way he flaunted three different registers at his three wins – coaxing Rosegold to a narrow win in a driving finish, leading all the way with Cactus Jack and coming from near-last with a flourish on Happy Saga.

Now that da Silva has got the show on the road, it is very likely his services will go up exponentially, never mind his broken English as Cactus Jack’s trainer Cliff Brown highlighted, not without his own brave crack at foreign languages.

“I think he’s great even with the language barrier, but we’ve got through that,” said the Australian trainer.

“He trialled the horse the other day and they went very well. Grazie Antonio.”

In showing his usual funny side, Brown, however, got his countries mixed up, as Brazilians speak Portuguese and not Italian, but it did not really matter, as most importantly, he does not get his training skills mixed up.

A four-year-old by Iffraaj, Cactus Jack (not to be confused with another Cactus Jack raced by the same owner Jerry Sung of Auric Stable some years ago) was only at his second start, 224 days after a modest debut when 10th to Mr Nicholson in a Restricted Maiden race over 1200m.

“We put him away after he had some splint issues. He’s a big horse and it’s taken a while to get him right,” said Brown.

“Jerry has been very patient and I can’t thank him enough for that.”

English may still be a challenge for da Silva’s at this stage, but “thank you” were two words the former Sao Paulo jockey has already mastered.

“Thank you, thank you! I’m very happy with three wins,” he said before adding through his interpreter Eleandro Lopes. “I love it here and the weather as well, and I also want to improve on my English.

“I thought I had good chances today but to have three winners is really great.”


Singapore Turf Club

Kranji

Sunday, 01st November 2015

4
14:25
(local)

INITIATION

Type: OPEN
SGD $65,000
1200m ALL WEATHER STANDARD
4
14:25
(local)
SGD $65,000
1200m STANDARD

INITIATION

Type: OPEN
FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 5. CACTUS JACK (NZ) 4yo G
IFFRAAJ (GB) - ROYAL SHOW (NZ)
ANTONIO DAVIELSON
CLIFF BROWN
$21.6
57.5kg
AURIC STABLE

Sales Information

2nd 6. LADRONE (NZ) 4yo G
NICCONI (AUS) - BETCHACAN (AUS)
MATTHEW KELLADY
SHANE DONALD BAERTSCHIGER
$6.6
57.5kg
SHANE DONALD BAERTSCHIGER

Sales Information

3rd 8. LIM'S RESPOND (AUS) 3yo G
RED ARROW (AUS) - MISS JOSEPHINE (AUS)
TIMOTHY BELL
STEVEN BURRIDGE
$7
52.5kg
LIM'S STABLE

Sales Information

4th 12. THE WIND (NZ) 3yo G
GORKY PARK (NZ) - CENTAUREILLY (NZ)
BENNY WOODWORTH
L KHOO
$6.2
52.5kg

Sales Information

5th 7. PALTROW (NZ) 4yo M
THORN PARK (AUS) - TESSICA (AUS)
MICHAEL RODD
LAURIE LAXON
$4.4
56kg
6th 13. NEVER DEFEATED (NZ) 4yo G
O'REILLY (NZ) - STRIPTEASE (NZ)
ALAN MUNRO
DESMOND KOH
$133.2
57.5kg

Sales Information

7th 2. NUMERO UNO (NZ) 4yo G
SIR PERCY (GB) - PUKALEE (AUS)
R HASRI
ZHAN LUN MOK
$11.6
53.5kg

Sales Information

8th 1. DURAN (NZ) 4yo G
DARCI BRAHMA (NZ) - BREEZED (AUS)
RIZUAN SHAFIQ
MARK WALKER
$3.2
56.5kg
9th 9. AUGUSTA (AUS) 3yo G
ANY GIVEN SATURDAY (USA) - FUSS (AUS)
KASIM A'ISISUHAIRI
MICHAEL FREEDMAN
$73.8
51.5kg

Sales Information

10th 11. MAGIC PAINT (NZ) 3yo G
GORKY PARK (NZ) - STRAVINAKI (NZ)
JOHN SUNDRADAS
L KHOO
$28.8
52.5kg

Sales Information

11th 3. HUMMING BIRD (NZ) 4yo G
ANY SUGGESTION (AUS) - VOLAISHA (NZ)
OSCAR CHAVEZ
ALVIN TAN
$34.4
57.5kg
12th 4. AMISTAD (AUS) 4yo G
AUSSIE RULES (USA) - TUDOR LANE (AUS)
JOSEPH SEE
ALVIN TAN
$16.6
55.5kg

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