Via Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club
Melbourne apprentice jockey Jessica Eaton has not taken long to score her first Singapore win.
Unplaced in two rides at her Kranji debut on Friday night, Eaton was right on the money at her very first Sunday booking aboard Snip for her master for three weeks, Daniel Meagher, in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1000m.
The 26-year-old is on loan to Meagher as part of an apprentice jockey exchange programme between the Singapore Turf Club and Racing Victoria. Leading Kranji apprentice jockey Simon Kok Wei Hoong will in return spend some time with Melbourne training partners David Hayes & Tom Dabernig during the December break.
Eaton, who was at her first overseas experience, was glad she had got that first win out of the way, more so when it came for Meagher, whose elder brother Chris is her actual master in Mornington.
“Dan has looked after me so well since I’ve been here and it’s great my first winner here was for him,” she said.
“On paper, the horse had a chance. I wanted to sit outside the leader, but he was a touch slow out and with the outside pressure, I was happy to sit on the rails.
“We went for the gap in the straight and he was too strong.”
Meagher was also delighted for Eaton, a former eventer-turned jockey who has up to now clocked in around 110 winners, recorded mostly in Victoria, but also at the odd stint in Perth, Tasmania and Adelaide.
“It’s terrific for Jessica as three weeks are always so tough to get started,” said the Australian trainer.
“I didn’t give her any instructions, I just told her to go forward. I told her ‘you know what you are doing’ and she rode the horse an absolute treat.
“This horse has also been terrific for us. I came here with two horses and Snip is the fourth horse I bought here, he means a lot to us.”
After enjoying the run of the race in the box seat, Snip ($24) looked a little field-shy when race-leader Dash (Mohd Zaki) rolled back to the fence at the 300m.
But as First Choice (Noh Senari) on the outside weakened out, a gap presented itself for Eaton who duly pulled his mount through. The six-year-old by Snippetson sprinted clear to score by 1 ¼ lengths from Admiral Winston (Benny Woodworth) with Thomas De Lago (Mark Ewe) third another half-length away.
The winning time was 59.38secs for the 1000m on the Polytrack.
With that seventh win from 46 starts, not to mention 12 placings, Snip’s account has now swollen closer to the $300,000 mark for Meagher.
