SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM FOR KOK

Ex-Kranji trainer gets off the mark up North with first Malaysian runner at his next start

- Michael Lee

Even if David Kok was not on hand to welcome his first-ever Malaysian winner at Sungai Besi on Nov 17, he was just delighted Pacific Charm has helped him finally tick that box.

The Ipoh-born Singaporean was the first former Kranji trainer among six, including the likes of Richard Lim, Mahadi Taib, Alwin Tan - to saddle runners across the border since the closure on Oct 5.

Fittingly, Pacific Charm was the very first horse to go around under his banner at his Kuala Lumpur debut on Oct 26, albeit with no fairy-tale ending after he beat one home.

Tellingly, his subsequent 10 runners - all owned by Pacific Stable - over the next five meetings also ran accordingly, until a much-improved Pacific Charm turned stable hero in the penultimate race of the Nov 17 meeting, the RM25,000 (S$7,500) Class 5A (1,200m).

Speaking just after landing in New Zealand where he is attending the Karaka Ready to Run breeze-up sale on Nov 20 and 21, Kok was glad his hunch that he would break the duck proved correct.

No doubt, the milestone was nowhere near his history-making feat on Oct 5, when he not only captured the last Singapore Gold Cup in the 182 years of Singapore racing with long shot Smart Star, but also its very last race.

But it was still another feather to his cap at the dawn of this new chapter of his 16-year-long training career.