BURRIDGE BREAKS THROUGH   Steven Burridge broke through in 2010 to claim his maiden trainer’s premiership in Singapore with a stellar year which culminated in a Group 1 win in the Singapore Gold Cup in November to the star stayer Risky Business, ridden by close friend and big race jockey Glen Boss.
  Arriving in 2004 from Malaysia and getting granted a licence to train in Singapore in 2005, Burridge has never looked back in his quest to excel in Singapore, being one of the top five trainers for the past several seasons and emerging as a genuine contender for the premiership in early 2010. With help from wife Julie and foreman Peter Gilman, Burridge bagged his first five timer at the start of the year which propelled him to the top of the premiership ladder with promising young horses such as Mr Raffles and Black Ice emerging out of the stable who delivered throughout the year to keep the Burridge juggernaut rolling on in 2010.
The win in the Gold Cup in November cemented Burridge’s position as the top trainer in Singapore for 2010 with 90 winners, 85 2nds, and 59 3rds, with an impressive strike rate of 14.35%, 21 winners clear from runner up Laurie Laxon. “The Gold Cup along with the 5 timer at the start of the year were certainly the two standouts for me, it really was an amazing year”, Commented Burridge.
  A deserved winner of the premiership it looks that the best is yet to come for Burridge and the team at Steven Burridge Racing.

BURRIDGE FIRES EARLY SHOTS  Singapore 14th/16th January 2011 The champion trainer for last year kicked the 2011 campaign off in style with Burridge firing three early shots over the weekend with Flash Gordon, Golden Lido and Black Ice all impressing in testing conditions at Kranji.
Flash Gordon, a five-year-old Australian-bred by Catbird from the Generous mare Kayzarana, registered his fourth win in Singapore taking out the Kranji Stakes C with the likes of the improving Quinta De Lago and stable mate Happiness Come rounding out the top three. With the track turning to yielding the chances of Flash Gordon were increased with the galloper performing well on the track in previous outings with Burridge commenting “He was down in weight and the rain that came had softened the track and it certainly helped his chances.”
  With tactics in play over the 1800m jockey Ronnie Stewart decided to take to the rails and go the shortest way home with Flash Gordon positioned at the back half of the field. At the top of the straight Stewart asked for the effort from the 5 year old with Flash Gordon responding well running down Quinta De Lago in the final 100m to get up and score the first winner for Burridge for the year with stable mate Happiness Come continuing to improve grabbing 3rd.
  The return of Golden Lido to the winners circle kicked things off for the Burridge Stable on Sunday the 16th January with Matt Kellady riding a patient ride from the rear of the field to grab the win over 1600m in Class 5 company and keep the shots firing for the stable over the weekend.
  Sunday saw Burridge send out the star galloper Black Ice in the $75,000 class 3 stakes over 1400m with Vlad Duric as the pilot, topping the betting boards on track as the $14 favourite. With the gelding being heavily weighted by the handicappers and giving the eventual runner up Meteor Mike (Bails Marcus) a whopping 6kg, the win on weights was very good under the circumstances.
  Duric gave Black Ice another text book performance with Burridge commenting “Vlad rode him great, I thought he may have been in a little bit of trouble coming around the turn, but he kept working on him and got him home.”
  Black Ice, a four-year-old Australian-bred by Mugharreb from the General Nediym mare Lady Migaloo, recorded his fifth win in 12 starts has now hit the $200,000 in prize money for the Black Ice Stable with his win on Sunday.
 

Monday, December 27, 2010



Newly-minted Singapore champion trainer Steven Burridge capped a most memorable year with a feature win on Sunday in his former stomping ground – Kuala Lumpur.
  The Australian, who after his days as a jockey, honed his craft as an assistant-trainer to Tan Soo Beng at Sungei Besi, in the capital city of Malaysia before relocating to Singapore in 2005, saw his fairytale 2010 script reach a fitting climax with the slashing victory of Risky Business in the Group 1 RM750,000 Yang Di Pertua Negeri Gold Cup over 2200m.
  The Danehill Dancer six-year-old gave Burridge his biggest 2010 triumph last month – ironically Burridge’s only feature success for the year despite his high productivity rate in the overall win department – in the Group 1 Longines Singapore Gold Cup (2200m), and repeated the feat 330km up north, in the traditional finale to the Malayan Racing Association racing calendar.
Risky Business (Noel Callow) scores an easy win in the Penang Gold Cup on Sunday (photo courtesy of Victor Chee of Selangor Turf Club).

The Cup race familiarly known as the Penang Gold Cup was this year exceptionally staged at the premises of the Selangor Turf Club as the Batu Gantong racetrack at the Penang Turf Club was undergoing repair works.
  Settled in a handy position (third or fourth) on the rails, Risky Business was switched to the outside by jockey Noel Callow upon straightening before opening up for a comfortable 2 ½-length win over Professional Man (Jacky Lim), a pattern which was almost reminiscent of his Gold Cup feat at Kranji, except the track was dry at Sungei Besi. Eagle (Benny Woodworth) finished third another 1 ¼-length away.
  Risky Business, who was at his second Malaysian raid having run third to Top Spin in the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2000m) last June, in the process established a new course record of 2min 16.2 secs, and has now racked up prizemoney close to $1.39 million for the Results Stable.
  “It was all very worthwhile going up there. Like I said before, you don’t win big races sitting in a box,” said Burridge, whose Trigger Express handed him his first Malaysian cross-border feature win in the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor in 2008.
  “Malaysia was good to me when I was there, and I will have no hesitation sending horses up there whenever I have the right tools.
  “It was also extra special to win at a track I was based at, and I also won this race as an owner with Ballistic in 2000. It’s a good track and its quarantine facilities are excellent.
“Noel rode Risky a treat. We wanted to drop back but they didn’t go that hard early and he ended up closer than we thought.
  “In the end, he just kicked away inside the last furlong to go and break the course record, but that was because they were holding a race over that trip for the first time.”
  Burridge said the appointment of Callow, with whom he enjoyed many successes during his Singapore stint, was almost a given from the day the dice was rolled to cross the Causeway.
  “Noel knows the horse as he rode him back in Kranji before and won twice on him,” he said.
  “I did have other jockeys in mind like Saimee (Jumaat) and Vlad (Duric), but Noel was already here and he was firing in the premiership.
  “It's a shame he lost the title in the end. But it was a great day overall for him and all of us.”
Team Risky Businesshad owner Yuki Otani (second from left), trainer Steven Burridge (fourth from left) and jockey Noel Callow at the prize presentation (photo courtesy of Victor Chee of Selangor Turf Club).

  Going into the last weekend of Malaysian racing, the 2007 Singapore champion jockey was locked in a close battle for premiership honours with local hoop Azhar Ismail, and actually drew level after Risky Business’ win to tie on 57 wins.
  It then all went down to the wire with Azhar eventually getting the nod by two wins with a late double aboard two well-backed favourites, Hot Butterfly in the RM$1 million Group 3 Malaysian 2010 Magic Millions Classic (1200m) and Good Baby.
  Incidentally, Burridge also saddled the runner-up in the Magic Millions race, Alacarte, who was ridden by Callow as well.
  “He ran well but the winner was too good. The 1200m is too short, anyway,” he said of the four-time winner by Umatilla.
  “They also went very fast – 1min 9.7secs. The winner is pretty smart and being by Fastnet Rock, he was way too speedy for us.
  “But it was still worthwhile as the prizemoney is very good. He probably picked up a cheque of around RM200,000 (RM198,000 to be exact) which works out to around S$80,000 – about what a winner will get in a Class 1 race back home.”
  The Penang Gold Cup win was the proverbial icing on the cake to Burridge’s phenomenal year, but the hard-working handler would not rest on his laurels, and has already trained his binoculars to the 2011 season, which kicks off on January 2 with the New Year Cup, a new Group 3 event over 1900m on Polytrack.
  “There was no big party after the win. Julie (wife) and I flew back to Singapore last night (Sunday) as there’s still work to be done here,” said Burridge.
  “Both horses have pulled up well and will now be enjoying a two-week rest in quarantine.
  “I will have to see what handicap Risky Business gets before deciding on his future plans. In any case, he’s going for a well-earned break as he’s already done a very good job.
  “It’s been an amazing season, but we’re all looking forward to next year. It’ll be hard to keep it up, especially as many horses will go up in ratings, but I have new horses coming in, about seven two-year-olds.
  “If we have the right horses, we’ll definitely do our best to match this year – or even better it!”

November kicked off for the Burridge Racing Stable with the star galloper Black Ice devastate his opposition in a class 3 event and adding another $75,000 to the horse’s already impressive prize money earnings in its short career. 3rd up and with a bit of give in the ground, jockey Ronnie Stewart rode the gelding from a back position at the top of the straight then got the split late in the run home to go on and score and kick start what was to be a November to remember for the stable. Bull and Bear who was picked up for $120,000 by Wade Burridge of Magic Millions which was then raffled off in an auction giving the lucky owners a share in the horse, won its Maiden race for the new owners with dream run from jockey Ronnie Stewart. The two-year-old was placed just off the pace in the running line until steward asked something of the galloper in the straight. Under pressure in the concluding stages, Bull and Bear went on with it going on to win and ensure a big night for the owners of the pub (Bull and Bear) who the horse is named after. Tiger Warrior’s career got off to the best possible start on Gold Cup day with pilot Glen Boss relishing in the wet conditions to take the early lead on the galloper with the stable being quietly confident about the chances of the horse over the 1200m on a yielding track. After taking the lead the only test to the horse came as Sir Fleetwood loomed large at the top of the straight. The two traded blows in the concluding stages but it was the emergence of Tiger Warrior and Boss who showed no sign of letting up to go on and score for connections of the stable. To add to the tally for Burridge on Gold Cup Day, the stayer Hint was given a great ride from inform jockey Danny Beasley travelling at the back in the running line then going on with it in the straight to score a two-length victory and claim the class 4 Charity Stakes over the 2200mm and pay out a dividend of $32. The stars aligned for the Burridge Racing Stable for the $1.35 million Singapore Gold Cup with Risky Business ridden by close friend and big race jockey Glen Boss, getting up to score a two-and-a-quarter length victory and cap off what has been an unbelievable year for the stable. The light weight, the combination of Boss and Burridge and the track turning to yielding, were the ingredients for success in one of the biggest races for the year in Singapore. Going back early in the race on Risky Business which the horse has been accustomed to, Boss gave a text book ride in the concluding stages of the race finding a run on the rails and looming large with the rain falling at Kranji to burst through and claim Burridge’s 2nd Group 1 win of his career. An elated Burridge commented post race “This is just the icing on the cake for what has been a great season, while I get a lot of personal satisfaction from this win, the win is also just as important for (wife) Julie, (stable supervisor) Peter Gilman and the entire staff.” Burridge then went on to comment on the work that son Wade has done since getting to Singapore “He does a lot of work finding suitable horses to bring up here.” The win in the Singapore Gold Cup cemented the stables position at the top of the premiership for 2010 and capped off what was a November to remember for the stable.

No Risky Business in Longines Singapore Gold Cup Michael Lee/Craig Brennan Sunday, November 14, 2010 The handicap, the trip and the rain finally got the better of Better Than Ever in the $1.35 million Longines Singapore Gold Cup on Sunday as it was one of the lightweight outsiders namely Risky Business who rose to the occasion, handing leading trainer Steven Burridge a deserving Group 1 success.
  While all the pre-race hype had been about trainer Laurie Laxon’s undefeated champion, who was bidding for a unique Triple Crown feat as well as extending his record of unbeaten runs to 13, the betting market did give an indication that the gruelling conditions of the handicap Group 1 race over 2200m may well find Better Than Ever out.
 
Normally punted down to $6 or $7, Better Than Ever was still sent out favourite but at the much less prohibitive odds of $11 to claim the third Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown Series after he had already taken the first two Legs in the Kranji Mile and the Raffles Cup. The persistent drizzle that had been soaking the Kranji StrathAyr track all afternoon had certainly done its part in keeping his odds in the unusual double-digit zone.  
A good number of his rivals were also much closer in the market. Desmond Koh’s mare New Rose Wood was second elect at $35, while others with legitimate chances of toppling him were quoted at $41 (Big Maverick), $51 (Zac Missile) and Risky Business ($61).
Glen Boss stands high in the irons celebrating his victory in the 2010 Longines Singapore Gold Cup on Risky Business.
It is not always right, but the Gold Cup market did not lie this time, and the risky nature of the horse racing business could not have been better depicted by the results of the 81st running of the time-honoured race, for the first time sponsored by watchmaker Longines.  
In the end it was Risky Business, ridden by Glen Boss, who scored a two-and-a-quarter length victory over Tell A Tale (John Sundradas) with Big Maverick (Vlad Duric) a head away third.  
Risky Business ran the 2200m on the yielding track in 2min 15.61secs, only 0.8 second outside last year’s winner El Dorado’s record.  
A $90,000 purchase at the 2006 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Risky Business has been an honest bread-and-butter horse, whose only previous Group 1 raid had been the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor last June when third to Top Spin, but trainer Steven Burridge had gone about his business of preparing the Danehill Dancer six-year-old to the minute for a bold coup in the biggest race of the year after the Singapore Airlines International Cup.  
Burridge said the prestigious win, amazingly his first Group success since the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Trigger Express in April 2008, capped off a stellar season that sees him on top of the Trainer’s Premiership Table holding a 24-win lead over dual-Gold Cup winner and six-time Premiership winner Laxon.   “
This is just the icing on the cake for what has been a great season,” said Burridge.   “
While I get a lot of personal satisfaction from this win, the win is also just as important for (wife) Julie, (stable supervisor) Peter (Gilman) and the entire staff.   “
The whole staff deserves credit for the win. They do a power of work and without them I wouldn’t be where I am now.   “
I also have to thank son Wade. He does a lot of work finding suitable horses to bring up here and without his help we wouldn’t be where we are at now.”  
It was the younger Burridge who first contacted Boss for the ride on Risky Business after the gelding’s victory in a Class B Stakes over 2000m on October 17.  
Prior to that run Burridge was concerned the gelding may not have had enough ratings points to force his way into the field.   “
After his win two starts back I thought he had enough points to get into the race,” said Burridge.   “
I got Wade to get hold of Bossy and get him for the ride as I knew he would have no problem taking the light ride (50kg).   “
We have a long association going back a number of years and whenever I can get Bossy for a ride I have no hesitation in using him.”  
While not exactly praying for the rain to fall, Burridge was happy to see it come as he had an idea the previous seven-time winner (all on good going) would handle the conditions.   “
Most of the Danehill Dancers seem to handle it okay and his half-brother Lim’s Fighter gets through the ground good,” he said.   “
He’s never been on a wet track before and I certainly wasn’t disappointed when the rain came.”  
An added bonus for Burridge was having his sister Jan and brother-in-law Ken Young in attendance.   “
Ken looks after my business back home and I told Jan and Ken they had better get up here for the Gold Cup,” said Burridge.   “
I hadn’t seen them for about 18 months and this just adds to the result.”  
It was Boss’s second ride in Singapore’s richest domestic race having ridden Waipapa into 10th position behind El Dorado 12 months ago.  
Boss said winning the Gold Cup gave him a great deal of satisfaction having known Wade and the Burridge family for a great part of his life.   “
I had no hesitation in taking the ride once Wade asked me,” said Boss.   “
I’ve known Wade since he was a two year-old and we have a close family association with the Burridge family.   “
To win the Gold Cup is just fantastic, especially for Steven and the team who have been having a terrific run throughout this season.”  
Boss, who won three consecutive Melbourne Cups aboard the champion mare Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005, described the Gold Cup win as a career highlight.   “
It is also exciting to win a feature race when you travel to ride in big races,” said Boss.
Jockey Glen Boss, owner's representative Julie Burridge and trainer Steven Burridge proudly show off the 2010 Longines Singapore Gold Cup silverware. “I’ve won three Melbourne Cups and this race is the biggest domestic race behind the International race (SIA Cup) in May, so naturally it holds a high place and it is worth some good money.”  
Boss also said that the victory was a welcome change of luck in a feature race.   “I had been riding well during the spring carnival in Melbourne but just couldn’t get that feature win,” he said.   “It is a bit like a golfer who is hitting the ball well but who just can’t score.”  
Boss for one did not tee off to a cracking start in the race as he immediately took the noted backmarker to the rear on settling.  
Risky Business was ahead of just Pina Colarda (Saifudin Ismail) for most of the way until he started to rail through from the 800m to be within striking distance at the top of the straight.  
Better Than Ever, (Saimee Jumaat) who was never able to slot in after jumping from barrier No 10, travelled three deep in midfield but was already sending signals of distress from the 1200m.  
The people’s champ dropped back further downstream as the pace suddenly picked up when Ravages (Dean Yendall) whipped around on the outside to come eye-balling race-leader Escamonda (Robbie Fradd) 900m from home.  
With Better Than Ever all but out of the equation, a host of chances suddenly sprang into prominence. Laxon could still fall back on his next big chance, Big Maverick, who burst to the front at the 200m, with Tell A Tale tacking along right behind.  
But sneaking up on the rails suddenly emerged a horse whose jockey’s colours were not quite distinguishable from all the splattered mud. The riding style of his jockey was however hard to mistake – Boss pulling out all the stops on Risky Business, almost reminiscent of the day he drove Makybe Diva to victory in a bog track at Flemington in 2004.  
At the 150m, Risky Business popped his head in front and despite bumping slightly with the in-veering Big Maverick, the Gold Cup win was well and truly in his grasp as a jubilant Boss stood high in the irons to salute the Kranji crowd a few metres before the winning post, an almost carbon-copy still of his Cox Plate win aboard So You Think last year, which will however sour his note by $1000.  
Better Than Ever finished in 12th position, 16.8 lengths from the winner, but Laxon was not all that disappointed with his performance and found out the French Deputy four-year-old was not certain by the track conditions.   “
It was a combination of the weight and the weather today that brought him undone,” said Laxon.   “
We were unsure how he would handle it, but after that, now we know.   “
I did have my concerns before the race, but he seems alright and that is the important thing.   “
He can go and have a bit of a rest now. There is nothing for him for the rest of year so he can have a rest and come back in the new year.”  
Saimee echoed the Kiwi mentor’s sentiments, saying that Better Than Ever was still a super horse who was just not suited by the prevailing conditions.   “
He just didn’t handle the wet. I don’t really think it was the handicap,” said Saimee.   “
If it was the weight, he would have been up there and weakened in the home straight.   “
But he was not travelling well. I just couldn’t hold my position and from the 1200m I knew he was not going to make it.   “
Take nothing away from him. He’s still a champion and will come back better than ever.”
It may have been scant consolation, but the Laxon-Saimee association was able to wrap up the Gold Cup day on a brighter note after they bounced back straight after to take out the last two races.
Martial Art ($24) and Martel ($35) stormed home to win the $75,000 Goodwill Stakes (1800m) and the $55,000 Benevolent Stakes (1400m) respectively.

Leading trainer Steve Burridge will team up with good friend and big race rider Glen Boss from Australia in the $1.35 million Singapore Gold Cup on the 14th of November with an inform and genuine lightweight chance for the race Risky Business.
The Burridge trained Risky Business scored a sparkling victory on Sunday the 17th October at Kranji with a come from behind win and now becomes a serious candidate for the prestigious Gold Cup and would top off the year for Burridge with the premiership all but sown up for 2010. The duo of Burridge and Boss will combine again in Singapore after Boss rode Black Ice on Singapore Derby Day with Boss picking up the ride in the Derby on the Brian Dean trained Phantom Knight back on the 11th July.
With a record three back-to-back Melbourne Cup triumphs, Glen Boss is Australia’s most accomplished and successful big-race jockey, his feats of piloting the great mare Makybe Diva to victories in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Melbourne are second to none.
Boss has ridden more Group One winners in the seasons 2004, 2005 and 2006 than another other jockey and his 2006 tally stands at 10 following six wins during the autumn carnival, headed by Eremein's victories in The BMW, Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. To add the success of Glen Boss for 2010 he was awarded the Scobie Breasley Medal which is the highest award a jockey can receive in Australia.
The combination of Boss and Burridge has been running now since King and King ran in the Singapore International race three years ago. While in that race the combination didn’t serve too well, Boss was still able to grab a winner on the night for Australia trainer Len Trealor.
Once it became apparent that Risky Business would be a live chance as a light weight hope in the Singapore Gold Cup, Burridge didn’t hesitate in calling Boss to secure his services for the ride on the gelding. Steve commented; “To be the best you need the best and Glen is a proven big race performer in all parts of the world, I said to him when he came to ride king and king after he finished down the track that next time you come back to ride for me it will be on a genuine top three chance in a big race”. True to his word Risky Business looks just that.
Bring on The Gold Cup.

Racing in September sizzled for the Burridge Racing Stable with the leading trainer serving up a bag full of winners for the connections and in turn increasing the quest for the premiership to 24 wins over main rival Laurie Laxon.
Burridge racing got their customary winner in the first race on Friday the 3rd of September with a win to the 5yr old Inuvik. Storming home the previous start to grab 2nd , Inuvik backed it up 14 days later with leading apprentice S Ruzaini guiding the gelding to the win.
Friday the 10th of September saw the Australian bread galloper Peaceful Warrior score on debut with a measured ride from senior jockey Vlad Duric in a RT Maiden over the 1200m and looks to be yet another promising addition to the Burridge Racing Stable.
The welcomed return of Matt Kellady to the Singapore racing scene after a fall back in March of this year was what the doctor ordered with Kellady knuckling down to business on the 4yr old Reel Schmick to get up and score over the 1200m in Class 4 company on Sunday the 12th September.
On the same afternoon as Reel Schmick’s win, the feature race saw Maple Star produce yet another impressive run for the connections of the Maple Star Stable with inform Jockey (R Stewart) on board steering the gelding to the win and taking a slice of the $95,000 prize money on offer and picking up the Korean Racing Authority Trophy along the way.
Benji’s Empire overcame a disappointing first start run to shoot down his opposition in the last 100m to record his first win and keep the guns blazing for the Burridge Racing Stable during September. Benjamin Racing No 3 Stable was bathed in glory for the weekend after Benji’s Empire’s win, then it was Benji’s Glory’s turn winning the $55,000 Class 4 1600m event.
Alacarte, stepped up on Sunday the 19th September to win over 1400m in class 3 company, with jockey Ronnie Stewart serving up a delightful ride for Burridge to continue on his winning ways.
  Wins during the month of September also went to Trigger Synergy, Unpickable and Happy everybody. Littlemisschatterbox had a big run first up to get in the mix with Alacarte and Shaolin Soldier both picking up minor placing to round out the month of September for the stable.