Zawari eighth at Asian Young Guns
05 Aug 2012 | Singapore Turf Club ​Kranji apprentice jockey Zawari Razali found little joy at the 2012 Asian Young Guns Challenge when he could only finish eighth in the annual event held in Macau on Saturday.
Brian Dean’s Malaysian apprentice chalked up 10 points earned from his third place aboard Charming Eagle in the second Leg of the three-race series. The race was won by Carl’s Star who was incidentally ridden by Hong Kong’s Alvin Ng, the eventual overall winner of the Challenge, which was at its fourth edition.
Ng rode a third (10 points) and a fifth (five points), which gave him a final tally of 40 points to hand him the title, Hong Kong’s second after Derek Leung in 2010 when held in Singapore, five clear of Malaysia’s Yazid Kamal.
Both of Zawari’s two other rides Chinese Dragon and Bowl Brothers finished 11th, while he also picked up a ride in one of the other four supporting races, Dreamer who ran fourth in Race 1.
Dean, who watched his protégé’s rides on TV, said Zawari, who took out the Qatar Apprentice Jockey Invitation Race last March, was unlucky not to have won at least one race.
“That horse he ran third on (Charming Eagle) drew wide and he had to ride him for luck from there,” said the Australian handler.
“The horse ran on very strongly. I thought he (Zawari) did not draw good horses, and all things considered it was a good performance.”