O'Hara finally saddles a winner in comeback

SINGAPORE,  March 21, 2010
 
ROCKET SINGH gives trainer John O'Hara his first winner since
his return - SNTC photo

John O'Hara re-launched his career when he saddled newcomer ROCKET SINGH to victory in the Restricted Maiden over 100m on the polytrack at Kranji here today.

Since regaining his A trainer's licence last September, the cousin of the late Ivan Allan has had more than 50 runners without success.

When jockey Saimee Jumaat brought ROCKET SINGH (Fantastic Light - Miss Raffin Dane by Special Dane) back to scale, O'Hara greeted his new charge with delight. "This is an amazing feeling. I have been waiting for far too long and it's great the wait is finally over," he said.

O'Hara has have a roller-coaster career. He started off an assistant to Allan and later branched out on his own with stables at Bukit Timah. He then shifted operations to Malaysia and was based in Penang and was fifth in the table with 24 winners in 1999.

After saddling just one winner in 2000, he returned to Singapore and was assistant trainers to Malcolm Thwaites and Charles Leck before gaining his A licence again.

Saimee went on to boot home three more winners and is truly on his way back after serving a three-month suspension under the demerit points system.

It was only last Friday that Saimee register his first comeback victory astride MEXICAN ROSE. The champion jockey of last season has a long way to go before catching up with Vlad Duric, whose double on UNPICKABLE (Delago Drom - Quit Smokin' by Never Quit) and COPPA DEL MONDO (Van Nistelrooy - Oenotria by O'Reilly) brought his tally to 27 for the season.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

1

 CLASS 5, DIV 2 - 1100M (POLYTRACK)

10

 Lion City Tycoon H W Tan Soo

1

6

 Lucky Sun D Kok A Ng

2

7

 Shimona's Magic Khoo S John

3

4

 Wonder General D Kok Chavez

4

2

 RESTRICTED MAIDEN - 1000M (POLYTRACK)

8

 Rocket Singh O'Hara Saimee

1

1

 Cabrera S Burridge T Affandi

2

2

 Rising Expectation B Dean Soo

3

9

 Thousand Light M Clements B Vorster

4

3

 CLASS 4, DIV 3 - 1200M (POLYTRACK)

8

 Unpickable S Burridge V Duric

1

2

 Another Sunday B Dean Saimee

2

4

 Street Ruffian L Treloar M Gallagher

3

1

 Super Fighter S Chua Sam

4

4

 INITIATION - 1600M (POLYTRACK)

6

 Zac Detonator L Laxon Saimee

1

2

 Lean On Me D Dragon O Placais

2

8

 Sweet Dream B Marsh R Fradd

3

11

 Stairway To Heaven S Gray V Duric

4

5

 CLASS 4, DIV 2 - 1600M (POLYTRACK)

2

 Coppa Del Mondo B Marsh V Duric

1

6

 Vitalico J Meagher Soo

2

9

 Golden Flame S Chua Zaki

3

5

 Anish M Freedman D Beasley

4

6

 CLASS 4, DIV 2 - 1200M (POLYTRACK)

4

 Merchant C Brown J Powell

1

12

 Msixteen D Kok A Ng

2

1

 Totara J Meagher Soo

3

10

 Incognito Baertschiger S Sahren

4

7

 CLASS 5, DIV 1 - 1100M (POLYTRACK)

4

 Queen Narcissus D Kok M Ewe

1

9

 Steel Cut L Laxon V Duric

2

6

 Spec Prince J Meagher M Firdaus

3

10

 Asian Power P Shaw B Vorster

4

8

 CLASS 3 - 1200M (POLYTRACK)

11

 Ghozi J Meagher Saimee

1

7

 Happy Everybody S Burridge V Duric

2

2

 Monkey Man J Meagher Soo

3

3

 Future Baby S Chua S John

4

9

 CLASS 4, DIV 1 - 1600M (POLYTRACK)

11

 Joyluck B Marsh A Feiruz

1

4

 Winning Heart B Dean Saimee

2

10

 Our Brightia H Takaoka B Vorster

3

8

 Ara Kara L Treloar O Placais

4

10

 CLASS 2 - 1200M (POLYTRACK)

7

 Dr Lemon P Shaw R Fradd

1

6

 Bionic Boy S Burridge K K Ng

2

9

 Lago Bay Baertschiger B Vorster

3

11

 Big Choice L Laxon T H Koh

4

11

 KRANJI STAKES C - 1600M (POLYTRACK)

7

 New Rose Wood D Koh Soo

1

6

 Happiness Come S Burridge Chavez

2

5

 Phantom Knight B Dean M Gallagher

3

3

 Risky Business S Burridge S Ruzaini

4

12

 CLASS 4, DIV 1 - 1200M (POLYTRACK)

8

 Super Lucky Colour B Dean Saimee

1

3

 Kingtrap D Hill S Cormack

2

11

 Nadal D Kok A Ng

3

4

 Raging Storm S Gray V Duric

4