New trainer Aloysius finds calling in racing

New Paper

4 days ago

Aloysius Hamsha is the last Singaporean to have risen to the training ranks through the Kranji "school", but will kick-start his training career in Malaysia.
Before relocating to Selangor, the 40-year-old spent nine years at Kranji, where he started from scratch as a syce with the late legendary trainer Laurie Laxon in June 2014, before joining Lee Freedman, Mark Walker and, finally, Donna Logan.
With the cessation of racing in Singapore in October 2024, he moved to Malaysia to work as assistant trainer to Kuala Lumpur handler Sivan Veerapen, before receiving his trainer's licence from the Malayan Racing Association on June 17.
While other Sungai Besi-based Singaporean trainers like David Kok, Jerome Tan, Mahadi Taib and Joseph Leck - who also started as grooms - had connections in the racing world, Aloysius did not hail from a racing background, but ultimately decided on the Sport of Kings as his livelihood.
After completing his National Service (NS), the Mechanical Engineering diploma holder from Ngee Ann Polytechnic held many different jobs, and was looking for greener pastures until a mutual friend introduced him to racing.
"I worked in different jobs before racing. I was in the engineering field after my NS, then joined the shipping industry with the Port of Singapore Authority. After that, I worked at the airport," said Aloysius.
"But I realised all that weren't for me. I was changing jobs because I didn't know what I wanted. I was about 29 then (in 2014) and I told myself I wanted to pivot to another area and stop 'floating' around.
"I knew an ex-jockey and he introduced me to racing. I didn't know racing at all, but I thought I'd try, so I joined Laurie as a syce."
The New Zealand-born nine-time Singapore champion trainer called it quits after the 2017 season, and Aloysius joined Australian Hall of Fame trainer Freedman that year, before he was promoted to stable supervisor in 2018.
After spending two years with Walker, Aloysius joined Logan in January 2022 and was granted his assistant trainer's licence five months later.
Bu it was when Aloysius was with Freedman that he "found his calling" in horse racing and decided to become a trainer.
"I aspired to become a trainer when I was a supervisor with Lee," he said.
"It was only after I became a syce that I saw the 'career progression ladder' in front of me. As a stable supervisor, I only had to go past the assistant trainer's rank to become a trainer, so I thought 'why not'?"
Other than his grit and hard work in the next few years, Aloysius also had his ex-bosses and former leading trainers in Singapore to thank as he plot his own career path.
Freedman was the 2018 Singapore champion trainer, Walker was four-time Singapore champion (2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021) while Logan finished runner-up to Tim Fitzsimmons in 2022.
"I've had the privilege of learning from the best in the field," said Aloysius, who has 19 horses under his care at his Kuala Lumpur base.
"Laurie understood his horses very well. Mark is a strategist who has a huge team of horses and places them nicely in races.
"Lee not only knows his horses, but he also manages his business very well and ensures the stable is making profits.
"Donna's a very nice friend and a team player. She gave me more rein and listened to feedback. I think I learned and grew a lot during my one and a half years with her.
"To me, the horses are the 'stars'. It's not the trainers or the jockeys. I want to be the man behind the horses and do my best to extract the best out of them."
Unlike most of the Kranji trainers who transferred up north after the last day, Aloysius was more proactive. He did not wait till the end to take his destiny into his own hands.
He left Kranji in October 2023 right after the news of Singapore's closure broke in June that year, and spent close to two years behind the scene as Sivan's assistant trainer.
For his first day at the office under his own banner, the new trainer has fielded four runners - Roger Roger, Never Ask More, Look After and emergency acceptor You Think So at Sungai Besi on June 29.
Among his first runners, Aloysius reckoned Roger Roger could acquit himself well in the RM38,000 (S$11,400) Class 5A race (1,400m).
"Roger Roger is in very good form. He won at his third-last start (May 17) at very big odds ($228).
"He's drawn in gate 14, but he's won from barrier 12 the last time, and it's the same grade. I think he can run well.
"XC (Xiaochuan) Liang is suspended, so I put Clyde (Leck) on, whom I knew when he rode in Singapore. We enjoyed success together with Perseverance when the horse won with Sivan (on Aug 24, 2024)."
Getting that first win out of the way would be something to tick off Aloysius' list but, win or lose on June 29, he is already planning for the future.
"My goal is to stay in this game. I'm thankful for the opportunity to train at Selangor Turf Club and also for the support from my owners," he said.
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