KUALA LUMPUR:  Mar 19, 2023

GOLDEN CHAMP landed in Singapore with so much promise but it was only in his penultimate outing at Kranji that he managed to score his first win in Singapore.

The Brazilian bred was brought in to Singapore with big hopes for his owners, after having won both his two runs at three in Uruguay. He started twice more at four for a win and a second.

At Kranji, he raced 15 times and managed to win a lowly Class 5 race besides one placing in Class 4.

But GOLDEN CHAMP is now showing just what he is capable of since moving to Malaysia, unbeaten in three starts thus far.

Ridden by apprentice Nuqman Faris Rozi, the six-year-old settled well off the pace early in the Class 3 – 1200m sprint at Sungei Besi here today. 

GOLDEN CHAMP gradually moved up round the home bend but at the top of the straight, he was still several lengths behind the pacemaker HIGH WATER.

Nuqman had to work hard on GOLDEN CHAMP and the horse responded and started to quicken strides. At the 200m, they had the leaders covered although still about four lengths from the leader.

GOLDEN CHAMP, who started favourite in the race, hit the front close to home to win drawing away by 3/4 length. WISHUPONASTAR beat HIGH WATER for second placing by the same margin.

“I wasn’t really confident because it was a stronger field than his last two starts,” said Nuqman. “But GOLDEN CHAMP has plenty of fighting spirit and refused to give in. I knew I was going to win at the 200m.”

“He is a really nice horse and there will be many more wins coming from GOLDEN CHAMP,” said trainer Tiang Kim Choi.

With his win on GOLDEN CHAMP, Nuqman achieved a personal best of four winners for the afternoon, after having scored on OFFICIAL, HARVEST and SAN ANDREAS earlier.

Nuqman is riding in a superb form at the moment. His four winners today propelled him to the top of the jockey’s table with 18 wins.

“I think it’s all due to the birth of my son,” said Nuqman. “Before his arrival I had six winners in one weekend here last month. Now I have ridden four in one day for the first time in my career.”

Nuqman made his bow in 2019 with five winners that season, repeating the score the following year. He booted home 14 winners in 2021 and shot to prominence last year with a sixth-place finish in the jockey’s table, scoring 44 wins. 

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