Nunes turns back the clock with Bizar Wins

By Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club

Manoel Nunes boasts an impressive feature race roll of honour at Kranji, but it was a win in a lowly $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race (1100m) that he will now remember as a milestone of sorts from now on.

Bizar Wins provided Nunes his first hurrah at his second Singapore stint as a licensed expatriate jockey. The Brazilian ace cut a swathe at Kranji between 2014 and 2017, winning the premiership three times (2015 to 2017), but was subsequently not relicensed.

He did fly in for a hit-and-run visit in September 2019, but on a one-day licence to ride only at the Raffles Cup meeting. Then plying his trade in Mauritius, Nunes didn’t win on his Raffles Cup booking Countofmontecristo, but did give his Singapore legion of fans something to cheer about with Limited Edition for Jason Ong.

Nunes wasn’t greeted to any loud applause at the empty Grandstand at his very first meeting back on Saturday, but he was just as chuffed he had got onto the board, and at only his third booking.

Granted a six-month licence by the Singapore Turf Club in June, Nunes, who turns 46 on Friday, had to endure a long and frustrating wait for five months before all his permits and visas were finally cleared, meaning he gets to ride at only one sixth of the full term.

While a little apprehensive whether he would be ring-rusty given he had not ridden in a race since December 2019 in Mauritius (was meant to ride in Canada in 2020 and 2021 but COVID-19 left him stranded in Brazil), Nunes left no doubt he had not lost an iota of the polish that helped him scoop up 496 wins at his old Kranji stomping ground before – and now 497.

After coming close at his first two rides, a third on Wind Of Liberty followed by a second on Pisca Pisca, Nunes made the natural progression evolve to a win aboard Bizar Wins in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 1 race over the Polytrack 1100m.

Still a maiden before Saturday, the Brazen Beau four-year-old mustered speed from his wide alley to take the lead. Once Nunes gave him a breather midrace, it was clear the others would have their job cut out.

Bizar Wins showed no signs of letting up as he fell in by one length from Lim’s Force (Danny Beasley) with Ben Wade (Wong Chin Chuen) third another half-length away. The winning time was 1min 5.66secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.

Trainer Alwin Tan’s former maidener is clearly no Spalato, one of Nunes’ Group-winning rides or Infantry, the Singapore Derby winner Nunes won for Tan, but it was a clearly relieved man who headed towards a place he has sorely missed for a while, the winner’s circle.

“I’m so happy I have come back a winner at my first day,” he said.

“I’ve been a bit worried about maintaining my fitness during the 10-day quarantine. I have also not been able to jump on a horse for so long, all I did back in Brazil was ride trackwork.

“I did a lot of swimming and running since I left the hotel, but I have to say I was fine today. I’m not too bad at all, I was not breathless or feeling sore, but I’m sure I’ll get better with more riding.

“I only took six rides today, but I thought I had some decent chances here and there. In Race 1, it could have been a dream start if Wind Of Liberty didn’t miss the kick.

“He was sitting at the back and put his head down, but he ran okay. Maybe he might not have won, but he could have finished second if he jumped good.

“Pisca Pisca did her best, but Oscar’s horse (Sunday) was too good. She had every chance.

“For my winner, I cantered him in trackwork on Wednesday. I told Alwin to change the ring bit to a normal bit.

“The less it hurts the horse, the better. He also didn’t know how to switch leads.

“Yesterday, I rode him again and I got that feeling he’s a hot-tempered horse who wants to go everywhere. So he’s been a bit frustrating, but today, I went forward and I’m glad he was able to win.”

Tan, who had constantly been chasing up on Nunes’ permit status from the moment he was licensed, was a happy man on Saturday.

Not only wins had been few and far between in this year of hardship for the 2016 Singapore champion trainer, he was delighted his favourite jockey was the one to bump up his score with a rare win – the last of his previous five winners being Helushka on October 16.

Interestingly, Nunes’ last winner at Kranji as a long-term licence holder on December 3, 2017 was Nova Strike – for Tan!

“Is it? I don’t remember that, but I know Nunes and I have got good chemistry, and he’s ridden many winners for me over the years,” said Tan.

“It means a lot to me that Nunes won in my colours today, even if this horse has a Hong Kong owner.

“I was teasing Nunes before his ride on Bizar Wins that he had come close twice and he should try and get it right on my horse – and he did!

“I’m very grateful he rode his first winner for us. It’s him who showed the horse how to change his legs as he didn’t know how to do that before.

“The horse also ran last week (third), so I just got Nunes to canter him on Wednesday, just to keep him fresh. He gave us some feedback and it’s paid off.

“I’m also very happy I won a race for myself. As you know, it’s been a tough year and we’ll take any winner that comes our way.”

It’s odds-on Tan will rustle up a few more rides for Nunes at the remaining three meetings of the 2021 season, but one ride that Nunes knows he is definitely jumping on next Sunday will come in the much-awaited $1 million Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2000m).

“I’m riding Big Hearted for Michael Clements in the Gold Cup. It’s confirmed,” said Nunes who has yet to claim the time-honoured race.

“It’s a light weight (53.5kgs) but it’s okay, today my weight was around 51kgs. He’s last year’s winner, so he can stay, and I think he has a good chance to defend his title.”