Malaysian jockey Wong Chin Chuen made a notable return to the local racing scene on July 26 at the Sungai Besi meeting, securing a surprise victory in the RM1 million (S$315,000) Selangor Mile (1,600m) aboard Aquitaine. The Penang-born rider, better known as C.C. or Jimmy, had just concluded a two-year stint riding in South Korea, where he amassed 106 wins, including three Listed races.
Wong, who competed in Singapore from 2015 to 2024 and was twice crowned champion apprentice jockey at Kranji, returned to Malaysia mid-July and resumed riding trackwork shortly after. Reflecting on his decision to come back, he noted that while his time in South Korea was a valuable experience, he had yet to spend a full season racing in Malaysia and aimed to capture more major victories, including the jockey’s championship.
At the Sungai Besi meeting, Wong demonstrated his intent early by clinching a last-moment win on Lucky Eight One in a Class 4 (1,200m) race. He then quickly followed up with his Selangor Mile triumph aboard Aquitaine, delivering a strong ride in a competitive field of 16 runners.
Starting from gate 4, Wong positioned Aquitaine in mid-pack along the back straight, as stablemate Navarre led the race from the front. With roughly 250 meters remaining, Aquitaine began to accelerate, closely challenged by Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup winner Fortune Tree, ridden by Jose de Souza. Despite the challenge, Wong guided Aquitaine to a narrow victory by a head at the finish. Anjou Crown finished half a length behind in third, while Navarre faded late to finish near the back. The winning time was recorded as 1 minute 35.02 seconds.
Trainer Simon Dunderdale, based in New Zealand and handling Aquitaine for Buffalo Stable, praised Wong’s performance. He revealed that originally, Mauritian jockey Ryan Curatolo was scheduled to ride Aquitaine but had to withdraw due to an emergency appendectomy. Dunderdale was relieved that Wong was available on short notice, describing the partnership as “perfect.” Aquitaine, a Deep Field gelding formerly trained by Chris Waller in Australia, was acquired alongside two other horses through the Inglis Digital online sale last year. Dunderdale indicated plans to target the Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) on September 13 with both Aquitaine and Antipodean, another winner from the day.
Other notable results included Fortune Rising, trained by Winson Cheng, maintaining an unbeaten streak with a win in the Trinity Selangor Silver (1,300m). The four-year-old Alabama Express colt outpaced leader Fright to secure the victory by 1¼ lengths.
Meanwhile, in Ipoh on July 25, the 80-year-old horse Joey claimed the inaugural Hoof-Tap Trophy (1,400m), edging out newcomer Good Friendship. Trainer Kevin Coetzee enjoyed a successful meet with wins by Colonel Chief, Fast And Fearless, and Double Draw. The latter marked a milestone for apprentice jockey Muhammad Hariz, who recorded his first career victory in the Open Maiden (1,100m) after 29 rides. The 21-year-old Malaysian, who switched from equestrian to racing and is apprenticed to Brian Dean, made his debut in Ipoh earlier this year.