LEONG MA BISCUIT DOES NOT CRUMBLE

Jockey lost whip at crucial time, but trainer Ismadi's horse responds to hands and heels

- Michael Lee

It is a fact that Ismadi Ismail's skill set is with horses, but he could be forgiven for thinking he can now add a new string to his bow: Telekinesis.

At the 400m of the RM35,500 Class 4A (1,400m) in Ipoh on Nov 23, the jockey-turned-trainer agonised when he saw jockey How Yang pull the whip on Leong Ma Biscuit as he ranged alongside Golden Lightning (Lim Aun Kean).

"Why the whip? He's got to push first," said the Ipoh conditioner.

"A jockey must push first, whip only after the horse goes in front."

From the stands, Ismadi was urging the senior two-kilo claimer to put the crop away.

The racing Gods must have heard his plea. How Yang accidentally dropped his whip there and then.

It happened while switching it to the left hand, presumably due to the restricted room between the two horses.