3 minute read
Ryan Munger hopes his close whiff of a first Group 1 glory two months ago was not just a fleeting moment, but a foretaste of things to come this Saturday.
The young South African jockey has yet to reach such giddy heights, be it back home or at his first overseas stint here at Kranji, with three Group 3 silverware earned in South Africa as his highest accolades in 10 years of riding thus far.
Plying his trade in Singapore since January, the 25-year-old lightweight hoop has not been getting much adrenaline rush from the moderate cattle he has been throwing his leg over, but he has certainly not let the chance to showcase his ability go begging whenever a decent ride comes his way.
To his credit, the Durban boy has actually still inched his way up the ladder thanks mainly to unfancied horses, steadily bumping up his pre-lockdown score of three winners to reach double digits with another longshot in Bushido last Saturday.
Chuffed no doubt with his upwardly-mobile trend at his new stomping ground, both in terms of wins and support, Munger is aware such numbers could improve dramatically if he can add a big-race feather to his cap - and none comes any bigger than a Group 1 feature, such as this Saturday's $400,000 Raffles Cup (1600m) in which he pilots Sun Marshal.
It was precisely the Lee Freedman-trained 2019 Singapore Derby winner who set the former Zimbabwe champion jockey's pulse racing at the 400m mark of the Kranji Mile on August 16.
Trucking up behind the leaders throughout, Sun Marshal almost drew on level terms with Countofmontecristo in a scene reminiscent of his Derby triumph, but this time, he was eventually outsprinted by Aramaayo to settle for fourth, only a little over 3 ½ lengths astern.
Munger is thankful for the renewed trust from the Freedman camp in him, confident he is sitting on the cusp of a better outcome second-up.
Not only the winner of around 580 races felt he knew the Sepoy six-year-old better, but to him, freshness will be on his side in the first Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series.
"This is definitely the best chance I've had in a Group race in Singapore," he said.
"I think my horse has trimmed up nicely after the Kranji Mile. He just needed the run, but he still ran very well.
"Obviously, I respect horses like Aramaayo, Top Knight and Countofmontecristo, but they've had tough hard campaigns while Sun Marshal will be the horse with fresh legs in the Raffles Cup.
"I trialled him (won) last week (October 1), and I was very happy with his run. He has come on since the Kranji Mile.
"I also galloped him on Wednesday. He worked with the company of a stablemate from a lower class, it was a nice hitout as well.
"He's fresh and well, I can't fault his work, he's in a good place."
Tactically speaking, Munger has a speedmap in mind, but will wait for the yard's directives on raceday. He would, however, be surprised if they departed from the Kranji Mile template.
"I don't see why it would be much different from the Kranji Mile," he said.
"He's got a similar draw (11) and I would think we would stalk the speed again, but I will still wait for the finalised instructions from Mr Freedman."
Munger said that Sun Marshal fits the bill for all three Legs of the Singapore Triple Crown series, though he said no commitment has been pledged for his booking right through.
The Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) is the second Leg on October 31 before the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) wraps up the series on November 21.
"He's a grinder, he's a tough horse. He also likes soft conditions," said Munger who has yet to score for Freedman.
"He will relish extra ground. The further he goes, the more he will enjoy it.
"For now, I'm riding him in the Raffles Cup. My booking is on a race-by-race basis, it'll all depend on how he goes tomorrow.
"He's improved from his first run and I'm confident he will run well."
Another smart galloper Munger is counting on for a forward showing is Siam Warrior, the only horse to have beaten new Kranji star Inferno (in a Class 3 race over 1200m in February).
The James Peters-trained six-year-old son of Exceed And Excel has, however, been unable to reproduce that dazzling performance since. Munger was aboard at two of those four starts, coming up with an unplaced finish and a third (last start), both in a 1100m dash at Class 2 level.
This time, they race on turf, the winning surface at three of Siam Warrior's four wins, in the $85,000 Always Certain 2011 Stakes, a Class 2 race over 1200m.
"Siam Warrior has been working very well. He had a good run last start," said Munger.
"He will need some luck in running from the wide draw, but if we can navigate our way around it, he should run a good race."
Looking back on his own career path at Kranji thus far, Munger will probably see an analogy to "bad draws" as well.
But all in all, Munger said he could not complain with the way things have gone at his first season, given it's never a bed of roses for newbies to find their way around, especially with COVID-19 having thrown a spanner in the works as well.
Originally reliant mostly on fellow South African trainer Ricardo Le Grange for rides (for whom he rode his first five Kranji winners), Munger has been spreading himself around with a wider variety of trainers in the last couple of months, a shift in dynamics no doubt brought about by the departure of four Australian/New Zealand jockeys during the lockdown.
His last five winners came for an eclectic band ranging from Michael Clements to Hideyuki Takaoka, to Alwin Tan and Kuah Cheng Tee.
"I have to make do with what I get, but I have to say my support has ticked up much more lately," he said.
"With not many jockeys around, it's been a bit like musical chairs in terms of who rides what. There are different riders who come up every week.
"But I have to say I have been getting better quality rides, and I think it's getting from strength to strength. I'll continue to go from yard to yard, trying to ride for everyone, and keep everyone happy."