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Trainer Alwin Tan did not expect Super Extreme to open his account on Saturday, much less helping him to his first double of the season.
The Singaporean trainer had a slow start to the season with only four winners under the belt, but the wins from Super Extreme and Atlantean came as a timely shot in the arm.
Super Extreme ($283) overcame a tardy getaway under veteran jockey Saifudin Ismail and worked home manfully along the rails to deny $14 favourite Commodore (Marc Lerner) of a win in the $20,000 Open Maiden race over 1200m.
They were separated by half-a-length while the third-placed Engine Start (Shafrizal Saleh) finished another one-and-a-quarter lengths away. The winning time was 1min 10.14secs over 1200m on the Long Course.
Tan credited the win from the Dissident three-year-old gelding to the countless barrier jump-out practices and his Malaysian rider for judging the race to a tee.
"I was very surprised to see him win today, but he practised jump-outs many times in the barrier, that helped him a lot," said Tan of his fifth winner of the year.
"Saifudin knows him very well too. He rode him at his last two trials and also in trackwork.
"Though the horse still jumped a bit slow today, he kept the horse in a nice position, and let the horse go at the last 300m.
"Saifudin Ismail is a very experienced rider and he helps me when he comes to ride a few horses every morning. So I have no doubt his judgement (in the race) is good.
"The owners (Uni Stable) bought him as a weanling in Australia for A$45K. They are very nice people and they have supported me for very long.
"They have another horse (Super Incredible) with me and I want to thank them for their unwavering support through these times.
"Very happy to get two winners today."
Saifudin reckoned the Long Course worked in his favour.
"He trialled good (third to Hadeer on May 26), so I expected him to improve today," said the father of four, who celebrated his 54th birthday on Wednesday.
"It's the first time I ride him in a race today but I ride him in trackwork.
"He can jump a bit slow, but I think the Long Course today helped him a bit and I know he can come from behind.
"He showed a good turn of foot in the straight."
With that first win from nine starts, Super Extreme has earned more than $12,000 in prizemoney for his Singaporean owners Mr KL Lim, Mr Jimmy Ng and his daughter, Miss Yvonne Ng from the Uni Stable.
Tan's second winner, Atlantean (Koh Teck Huat, $52), came with a similar run from behind in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 2 race (1200m) two races later, albeit three-wide, before charging home late to wear down Global Sprint (Iskandar Rosman) by half-a-length.
The winning time was 1min 10.87secs over 1200m on the Long Course.
Timely Gift for See at first ride back
It was also a joyful moment for jockey Troy See after he scored at his first ride back in Saturday's opener.
The 33-year-old Singaporean hoop last rode at Kranji on March 26 before he left for a short stint at the Gold Coast, Australia, where he rode his first winner, Muiron, on April 16.
See bagged a total of five winners from 29 rides, all for Gold Coast trainer Les Kelly. His last winner was Chayse 'N' Tanya in a Maiden race over 2000m last Sunday.
"I enjoyed myself very much in the Gold Coast. 29 rides and five winners," said See who recently had his licence in Singapore extended till the end of the remaining 2022 season.
"I'm back also because my wife is due (to give birth) next Monday, so I'm glad to be a second-time dad (he already has a four-year-old daughter, Cara)!
"Still pretty excited though we haven't thought of a name for my son, but maybe I should call him 'Crown Gift'?"
A seven-year-old son of Phenomenons, Crown Gift was at his first run for trainer Richard Lim in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race, but See knew well what he had under him.
Having partnered Crown Gift four times previously for two wins and two placings, See decided to take a sit behind leaders Lim's Wish (A'Isisuhairi Kasim) and Arion Passion (Benny Worthworth) as they set up a scorching pace upfront.
Arion Passion headed Lim's Wish in the straight for a moment, but Crown Gift made ground under See's urgings to come up tops by two lengths from the late-charging Fast And Fearless (Jake Bayliss).
Flak Jacket (Mohd Zaki) just missed out by a nose to settle for third. The winning time was 1min 5.48secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.
"I rode him previously, two wins and two thirds from four starts," said See, who was chalking up his third winner at Kranji this season.
"He is new to Richard (Lim, trainer) but he told me he's been freshened up a bit, dropped a bit of weight but not a worry.
"He's drawn the widest (barrier 9), so we tried to ride him smart, without using too much.
"He left it to me. I saw the two leaders going head-to-head and I decided to take a sit and let them take me into the race. He did the rest from there."
