Saimee gives himself no let-up

Michael Lee
Saturday, June 06, 2009

Champion jockey Saimee Jumaat rode a winning treble aboard Golden Lido, Dustin and Ace Aliado on Saturday, two weeks after he scored a double on May 31.


While most would think the eight-time champion rider would be blas¨¦ about such records, the hungry man himself was far from impressed by the ¡°long time¡± without winners!


Saimee Jumaat coasts home aboard Golden Lido in Race 5 on Saturday.

¡°It¡¯s about time. I almost forgot how to ride a winner!¡± said Saimee who had to wait at his 15th ride after his last winning sortie on Intercept to greet the judge again with 3/1 chance Golden Lido, the first leg of his hat-trick.

 

¡°It¡¯s a long time between drinks by my standards.¡±

 

Cheekily cocky one minute, Saimee was a lot more modest the next.

 

¡°Seriously, this horse (Golden Lido) gave me a beautiful ride. He has this ability to switch off and ping in the home straight,¡± he said.

 

¡°Any jockey would have won on him!¡±

 

Saimee certainly rated Golden Lido to perfection with a ground-saving ride in the $55,000 Class 4 race (2000m), waiting for the last 300m to produce the former Melbourne galloper for his finishing burst.

 

The Secret Savings four-year-old swept past leader Deefour (John Powell) at the 200m to go and score by one length from Dorado Joy (Eric Legrix), with Deefour holding on for third another short head away.

 

Jumping from barrier No 2, Golden Lido settled in midfield hugging the rails right on the heels of Ultraman Gaia (Robbie Fradd).

 

The pace was moderate, and by the home turn, Golden Lido was cantering and waiting for the right gaps to come up. Saimee scrubbed up his mount at the top of the straight and as the field fanned out a gap opened up and Golden Lido finished better than Dorado Joy, who had started his run on the outside.

 

¡°He¡¯s been a bit disappointing because I felt his form around him in Australia was pretty good. He could have stayed in Australia but we brought him here thinking he could win a few races,¡± said winning trainer Steven Burridge.

 

¡°He¡¯s nothing flash, but he¡¯s won a midweek race in Sandown and ran a place at Cranbourne, but somehow, he¡¯s been struggling to reproduce that form here.

 

¡°The owner Darwin Liman bought a few well-bred horses for me before but they did not do all that well. He stuck to me and I¡¯m glad this one is proving to be quite handy.

 

¡°Saimee gave him a brilliant ride as well today. Let¡¯s hope the horse holds his form now.¡±