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| Peter Knuckey |
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Kranji favourites Robbie
Fradd, Eric Legrix and Danny Beasley will continue to ride in Singapore in
2009 after their permits were renewed for another year.
Soon, they will be joined in the riding ranks by Brazilian jockey Eurico da
Silva and Australian Peter Knuckey.
The Singapore Turf Club granted Da Silva a three-month visiting jockey’s
licence from Dec 15 while Knuckey, who hails from Perth, was granted a
six-month licence from Jan 1.
Based in Toronto, Canada, da Silva has had two previous stints at Kranji.
Earlier this year, he chalked up six wins from 40 rides, adding to his
previous score of four wins from 56 rides at his first visit in 2007.
Well-supported by most trainers, da Silva however enjoyed his best strike
rate with Douglas Dragon, for whom he rode five of his six winners this
year, including two on the up-and-coming THE HORNET.
The 33-year-old jockey was Brazil’s champion apprentice twice, and had
already ridden his first Group 1 winner by 1994. From 1991 to 2001, he rode
in Macau, maintaining his level in the top five, with a haul of over 50
winners each year.
He then moved to Woodbine, Canada where he has been riding with great
success. At the recent Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita, da Silva
finished second on FATAL BULLET in the US$2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He
goes to scale at 52kg.
Knuckey began his career in 1990 and has since ridden more than 1,100
winners, including OLD NICK in the Group 1 Fruit ‘N’ Veg Stakes in 1998 and
23 others at Group 2 and 3 level.
Knuckey rode in Melbourne in 1994 and 1995, even taking a ride (10th on
PINDI) in the 1994 Melbourne Cup won by JEUNE.
The 34-year-old jockey is currently sitting fifth on the Western Australian
jockeys’ premiership and finished sixth last year. Knuckey weighs in at
50kg.
Fradd, 43, is currently sitting third on the premiership with 58 winners for
the season. The South African jockey’s biggest wins this year came aboard
ONENINETYFIVE in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Sprint and ROCKET MAN in the
just concluded Orchid Trophy.
The former Hong Kong champion jockey and two-time Durban July Handicap
winner was the regular partner of one of Hong Kong’s best sprinters, FAIRY
KING PRAWN, with whom he won the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen in Japan. Fradd goes
to scale at 52kgs.
Frenchman Legrix, 43, has enjoyed his fair share of success this year,
sitting 10th on the premiership with 24 wins, including the Group 2 Queen
Elizabeth II Cup with TRIGGER EXPRESS.
Legrix has ridden in excess of 1,300 winners, including 90 at Group level,
across countries like England, USA, Hong Kong and Macau. Among his most
notable victories are those in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and the Hong Kong
Derby. Legrix weighs in at 53.5kg.
Beasley has been a regular visitor to the winner’s circle this year,
notching 56 wins, with the Group 3 Singapore Guineas aboard ONCEUPONATIME as
his most notable success. The 33-year-old Australian is a winner of about
1,200 races, including 14 Group 1s such as the Golden Slipper and Doncaster
Handicap. Beasley goes to scale at 53kg.  |
