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South African jockey Calvin Habib is looking forward to his Singapore debut on Sunday with four good bookings from fellow compatriot trainer Ricardo Le Grange – including Hongkong Great in $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1400m – even if he had to wait till the eighth race before his first ride at the 12-card meeting.

But Habib is used to waiting for rides.

The now 25-year-old was rejected twice by the South African Jockey Academy and had to look at other avenues to pursue the career in the saddle he so desperately wanted.

The authorities thought Habib was too tall to be a successful jockey in the long run, but the 171cm hoop's determination was as big as his frame and after his second rejection to the jockeys' school, it was amateur racing that called.

"I was small as a kid but I had a growth spurt at 16, and shot up almost overnight," recalled Habib after his first day of trackwork at Kranji on Thursday.

"My weight was okay at the time but the tests by the (South African Jockey) Academy deemed I would have problems keeping it to an acceptable level to be a jockey.

"So (trainer) James Maree – who is a legend in South African racing - approached me to ride in what we call 'work rider races', which are like amateur races.

"I had some success – about nine winners from just over 50 rides – and a board member of the Academy approached me and asked why I hadn't applied. I told him I had been rejected – twice – and he said to try again.

"I did and the Academy accepted me but monitored my weight over a three month period. They knew from tests that I had stopped growing and I kept my weight down and didn't look back."

That was in 2015 and since joining the jockey ranks in South Africa, Habib had ridden over 330 winners – including four at Grade 1 level  - and had also ridden seven winners in Bahrain and competed in the World Apprentice Championships in France in 2017.

With riding and travel pumping through his veins, Habib jumped at a chance to try his luck in Singapore after being approached by former jockey and Kranji favourite, Johnny Geroudis, late last year.

"I had always dreamt about riding in places like Singapore and Hong Kong – most jockeys in South Africa do – and was looking at my options when Johnny asked me at trackwork one morning if I would be keen to apply to the Singapore Turf Club," said Habib, who secured a one-year riding contract in Singapore till December 31 this year.

"He introduced me to Ricardo who got the ball rolling with the application. It was all a bit rushed but thankfully it was successful and now I'm here.

"My cousin (and jockey) Derreck David rode here in 2017, when I spent a week or so in Singapore and watched him race. But to be at Kranji now and about to ride soon is still a bit surreal to me."

The relatively short wait to the eighth race on Sunday to get the latest chapter of his career underway does not faze the 2018/2019 Zimbabwe champion jockey one little bit.

In fact, Habib will use the time to familiarise himself with his new environment and soak up the atmosphere at Kranji before heading out to the parade ring to be legged up for his first ride on Leatherhead in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1600m.

"I only arrived in Singapore on Tuesday and had to do my medical and wait for my work papers to be cleared," explained Habib.

"So I only started trackwork this morning and not riding till race eight on Sunday will give me time to find my feet in the jockeys' room and watch a few races live so I can get a feel of the place.

"Ricardo has given me four good rides and obviously I'm very excited about Hongkong Great as he looks like one of the best horses in Singapore.

"He (Hongkong Great) has drawn wide (in gate no. 12) but he showed in the (Group 1) (Singapore) Gold Cup that he can put himself into races.

"I haven't discussed the final tactics with Ricardo but I would imagine over this trip (1400m), we don't want to get too far out of our ground.

"He's a momentum type of horse so he will obviously get better over longer but he's fresh enough to run well over seven furlongs on Sunday."

Blue Idol in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over 1200m and Renzo in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1200m are Habib's two other rides for Le Grange and he thinks both of them have good winning hopes.

"Looking at the form, I think Blue Idol is ready to win and Ricardo has him in the right race," he said.

"Renzo used some petrol from a wide gate (no. 11) last start and did very well to hold second. So from gate one on Sunday, he gets his chance.

"Ricardo also thinks Leatherhead will appreciate being back on the Polytrack over a suitable distance."

Such was the whirlwind start to his Singapore adventure that Habib's wife - Shandre Hoffmann-Habib – stayed in South Africa to tidy up the household affairs, but will join her husband in Singapore soon.

"Shandre stayed home to organise things like selling the car and getting the house sorted but will hopefully be here in a month or so," he said.

"Meanwhile, I'm setting up shop in Singapore – looking at apartments today and tomorrow – and finding my feet in the city.

"So far, so good. I love the weather. The public transport is world-class and I really look forward to settling down.

"I love Singapore. The people are so friendly and hopefully, I can have some early success in the saddle and enjoy 2023."