3 minute read
Had new apprentice jockey Chong Shin Wah not “passed a test” given by his master trainer Donna Logan a few years ago, he would not have the chance to make his riding debut on Saturday.
Previously indentured to ex-Kranji trainer Tan Hor Khoon and trainer Kuah Cheng Tee before Logan, the 27-year-old Ipoh-born rider was not one to give up easily after he decided to become a jockey six years ago, but at one point of time, he did hesitate to continue on his chosen career path.
After joining Logan at the end of 2019, Chong was tasked to ride trackwork every day on the now-retired Ashhab. It was a test of his riding skills and patience as he was thrown off the back umpteen times at the start, and it took a few months before he was finally "on top of things".
"That horse was very difficult to ride," said the Singapore Permanent Resident, who studied till Form Three in Malaysia (equivalent to Secondary Three level in Singapore) and completed his National Service in Singapore.
"He would dump every rider who rode him. I would fall every time I ride him. After a while, I began losing confidence and I told Donna, 'I don't think I can be a jockey'.
"But she told me not to give up, so I continued riding Ashhab. At first, I still felt uneasy riding him but it took me three to four months before I understood his quirks and learned how to better balance myself on him too.
"I was not scared, but it was a challenge that I needed to overcome to continue riding."
Chong was lucky he met with only a few accidents in his years of riding trackwork, but he remembered one other mishap that happened a few months after joining his first boss, Tan.
"After completing National Service, I joined the racing industry as a syce with Tan in 2018 after I saw the Singapore Training Academy for Racing (STAR) programme online. He saw my frame, thought I suited becoming a jockey and asked if I was keen," said Chong, whose family of five, including one elder sister and one elder brother, are not involving in racing.
"He taught me how to ride. We were only into the second month of riding and there's one time when I sat on top of a horse with a syce holding him, but he suddenly threw tantrum and we fell.
"I cut the middle finger on my left hand when I was moving away from the horse. It was quite a deep one and after stitching, I had to rest for a month.
"My mum was already not supportive of me joining this industry at first and she was even more worried after that accident.
"But I thought this is an interesting job that I get to work with animals. I was also into motorsports back in Ipoh when I was still studying, so I thought I would enjoy the adrenaline rush of racing.
"Before that, I worked in a car repair workshop in Ipoh, was a full-time staff that packed food for airlines at SATS (airport security company) in Singapore for a year before National Service, and did administrative jobs and part-time photography after that.
"I knew there's (horse) racing in Ipoh but I've never watched it before, but I did think of becoming a jockey ever since joining (the industry).
"So, I'm thankful I got the licence to ride before racing shuts down here. At least, I have the chance to continue to ride elsewhere after that."
Tan relinquished his licence in early 2018, around the period Chong recovered from his injury, so he had his indentureship transferred to Kuah after he expressed interest to continue riding.
Kuah, an ex-jockey himself, recommended Chong to take up a six-month track rider's programme under STAR. Now, hard work has paid off for the determined lad after he was granted his apprentice jockey's licence at the end of last year.
Chong will ride Fadaboy for Logan in the $50,000 Class 4 race (1100m) and the Richard Lim-trained Thunder Star in the $50,000 Escamonda 2011 Stakes, a Class 4 Division 1 race (1200m) at his debut this Saturday.
Much as Chong is nervous about his debut, he is thankful for the advice and help given by his colleagues all these while.
"I'm actually feeling more pressure than excitement now," said the young four-kilo claimer, who is a natural lightweight.
"(Apprentice jockeys) Jamil (Sarwi) and Ibrahim (Mamat) brought me to the jockeys' room last Saturday to find my locker. I was already nervous when I was there, but the other jockeys were very friendly. (Jockey) Matthew (Kellady) said I could use his saddle if I wanted and (jockey) Benny (Woodworth) gave me riding boots.
"I want to thank Donna, HK Tan and CT Kuah for their teachings and guidance. I also learned a lot from (Logan's ex-assistant-trainer) Graeme (Forbes), (former apprentice jockey) Desmond (Chan Wei Sheng) and (freelance track rider) (Erasmus) Aslam.
"Aslam gives me a lot of advice on how to ride horses and I would ask people like (jockey) Yusoff (Fadzli), Jamil and (apprentice jockey) Jerlyn (Seow) when I have doubts too.
"I will ride 50kgs on Fadaboy. I've ridden him before in trackwork but more so the last three weeks. I also galloped him last week and gave my feedback to (regular rider) Jamil. He thought the horse was going good too.
"He said he (Fadaboy) will go at the top of the straight. From his outside barrier (11), I think my boss (Logan) might tell me to sit, relax and come from behind, but I'll wait for her instructions before the race.
"Richard called me last night to ask if I can Thunder Star. He told me to take the ride as a learning experience.
"I only told my family I got my licence yesterday. They were surprised but they still support me. My mum and a few close friends of mine will be here this Saturday.
"My girlfriend, Lu Hong, is very happy and more excited than me. She wants to fly over from China, but I think I would be more stressed with her around (laughs), so I told her not to fly here for the first meeting but come later after I've settled better into my rides."
