NECK AND NECK: Jasmi Kamar on Show Me The Money (left) locks horns with Maruf Wahab on King & King as they bid to claim the runner-up spot in the jockey championship. — Photos by Melvin Choo
KUCHING: Othman Putit booted home two crucial winners last Sunday to seal the 2011 jockey championship after a keen three-way tussle.
With the double, he rode out the racing season with 11 wins, 7 second and 6 third placings to claim bragging rights first time from Jasmi Kamar and Maruf Wahab who had chased him all the way.
The jockey title race was wide open until Race Four (Class II – 1200M) when Othman — two wins ahead at that point – scored on raging hot favourite Rhodium to scurry to an unassailable three-win lead and along with it, his first-ever champion jockey title.
Maruf had earlier cut Othman’s lead to just one win (8-9) when he won on Perfect Dancer in Race One (Class V – 1200M) and would have drawn level had he doubled up on Princess Alicia, the runner-up in Race Two (Class IV – 1200M).
A short-head loss to Raja Muda had instead allowed Othman, who was astride the winner, to restore the status quo but he still looked vulnerable with a slim two-win advantage. (For the record, Raja Muda returned 2 minutes 0.41 seconds which is better than the Class III time of 2 minutes 09.8 seconds). Next it was Jasmi’s turn to pile on the pressure, scoring a well-judged race on Sarawak Time in Race Three (Class III – 1200M) to join Maruf just two wins off the pace.
With everything to ride for, Othman needed one more win to kill off the competition, and if he could pull that off in the next race, it would be all over for his two rivals nibbling at his heels.
Rhodium provided Othman with the perfect opportunity in Race Four, and leaving nothing to chance, the high-riding hoop rode the race of his life on the five-year-old grey, pulling out all stops from the get-go to cruise home by a massive margin to secure the championship.
“I had a lot of luck today and I am happy to win my first title,” Othman said after the races.
Jasmi finished second on Nasib Saya in the race but had he won, it would have been a whole new ball game.
He would have come within one win (9-10) shy of Othman and his victory on Show Me The Money in the last race (Class 1 – 1200M) would have levelled the score for wins (10-10) but put him in front on countback as Jasmi had 7 second placings to Othman’s five.
But it was not to be. Jasmi had to settle for second spot with 9 wins, 7 second and 10 third placings.
“I will try again. Maybe I will have better luck next time,” he said. Maruf looked good for the title after scoring on Perfect Dancer in the opening race but his failure to follow up on any of his four strong subsequent rides — Princess Alicia, Precious Moment, Princess Amanda and King & King – relegated him to third spot with 8 wins, 12 second and 8 third placings.
“This is racing. Only one of us can win,” he said.
In the trainers’ championship, Edmund Sim was the winner with 24 wins, 19 second and 22 third placings.
He saddled two winners (Sarawak Time and Show Me The Money), three second placings (Magic Killer, Three Seven and Nasib Saya) and two third placings (Dragon Fly and Sunshine Harvest) to consolidate his position last Sunday.
Lee Moi Fong took second spot with 19 wins, 29 second and 23 third placings.
On Sunday, she sent out two winners (Perfect Dancer and Raja Muda), two second placings (Princess Alicia and King & King) and two third placings (Master Wishes and Stranger).
Zulkifli Ahamat was third with 7 wins, 1 second and 5 third placings, ending the last day of racing with one win (Rhodium) and one third (Augustus).
Money Come was the champion pony with 5 wins, 3 second and 1 third placings. Rhodium was second with 5 wins and no placings followed Magic Killer with 4 wins and 1 second placing in third spot.