Dean stars with first Ipoh win
Aussie trainer a winner in 4 countries after breaking duck in Malaysia with Fortune Star
Brian Dean said that, with a bit of luck, he could have already opened his Malaysian account one week before Ipoh’s meeting on Jan 11.
The Australian trainer was still rapt Fortune Star broke the duck for him relatively early into his new venture, but, without being too picky, said the same horse could have turned provider even earlier.
“Fortune Star should have won at his last start. He was gone too soon on the long course,” said Dean.
“But I can’t complain. He’s won today, and I’ve now had a winner in four different countries, which isn’t too bad, I reckon.”
Before his current Malaysian stint, which started in December, the Bendigo man had plied his trade with success in Australia as a jockey, Singapore – where he prepared the bulk of his winners (438) – and South Korea (28) as a trainer.
Fortune Star, a US-bred seven-year-old who won four races – all by coming off a handy spot behind the speed – for trainer Kuah Cheng Tee at Kranji, came from a midfield spot this time to wear down Colonel Chief (Wong Kam Chong) by a neck.
Ironically, the winning rider was the same apprentice Dean sacked after he fumed over his handling of Fortune Star at his last-start narrow second to D’Great Timing on Jan 5 – Shiva Ngyanasegaran.
When Lim Aun Kean, the new jockey booked in the RM22,000 (S$6,700) Class 5A (1,600m), was stood down, Dean was not left with many options in the jockeys’ room.
Shiva was one of the rare jockeys available. Dean decided that the sophomore apprentice could not slaughter the same horse twice.
“AK Lim was supposed to ride him today but he was stood down. I put Shiva back on,” said Dean.
“It was a better ride even if he was further back than I wanted. The trip was too short but the horse did a good job to get there.”
He actually exacted revenge on his last-start nemesis D’Great Timing (Ruzaini Supien) who looked off and gone at the 300m when he surged to the front.
But, unlike his last start, the 11-year-old could not shake Fortune Star ($10) off this time. The 1.5kg better terms were another factor.
With five more horses to saddle up later, Dean had room for improvement, but the 66-year-old had to settle for one second (Talkingtalkingguru) and three thirds (Always Innocent, Feel The Fire and Tom’s Phoenix).
“I can’t complain. All up, I’ve had one winner, two seconds and three thirds from 11 runners,” he said.
“My horses are rock-hard fit. On a heavy track like today, they just keep going.
“After two runs, the horses have improved, like Fortune Star. He was at his third start in four weeks.
“When he first came to me, he weighed 430kg and had dropped nine kilos. He had the worst legs.
“But I worked on him and he’s come on well. Talkingtalkingguru was actually a few weeks ahead, and he just got beat by a neck in second (to Style Of Dragon).”
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