Daddy Harry feeling great

After a long wait, the well-named Great Expectation finally lived up to all the hopes pinned on him with a much-deserved breakthrough win on Saturday.

By a happy coincidence, it was not only a lucky pick-up ride, but perhaps more significantly, a symbolic win for a jockey whose life expectations have just turned 180 degrees - new daddy A'Isisuhairi "Harry" Kasim.

The popular lightweight rider and wife Jannah welcomed their first child on March 15, baby girl Bibi Nayla Medina.

A'Isisuhairi got the call-up to ride the Stephen Gray-trained galloper in the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1,800m only after jockey Wong Chin Chuen called in sick.

It brought up his seventh win for the season, but the first as a new Dad's Club member.

The former two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey and multiple-Group winner has won the highest accolades on the track, but his new bundle of joy is clearly his proudest victory.

"Jannah and I are both pretty excited we have become parents to our first child," said the Kelantan-born rider.

"We've been married for five years, and our two cats were like our kids. We didn't seriously think about starting a family until a couple of years ago.

"The birth went smoothly. Mother and baby are both doing well.

"It's a new chapter of our lives. It's a happy moment, even more so with my mum and dad visiting us the day after baby Nayla was born. I haven't seen them in two years."

As A'Isisuhairi crossed the line first aboard Great Expectation, he was tingling with a different kind of buzz as the new responsibilities awaiting him dawned on him.

"I've always heard what other people say about fatherhood, it's a life-changing experience. I didn't quite understand it then. But, after I've lived it first hand, I totally agree," he said.

"Now that I'm in that situation and can call myself a father, I want to work even harder so I can ride more winners. I don't know how to explain it, but that's how I feel now, especially after I won on Saturday."

While the Pentire four-year-old might not be anywhere near his Group 1 winners Gilt Complex or Minister, and the win itself was no "great shakes", A'Isisuhairi will clearly not forget the catchy name.

"I didn't know much about the horse until I got the phone call on Saturday morning. Stephen Gray told me the horse can stay the distance, but is rather one-paced," he said.

"Stephen is an easy trainer to ride for, he was fully confident in the horse. He told me he was in top form.

"He had the visors on for the first time and a good draw. There was not much of a plan, just use his gate and, after he began well, he got the job done."

As to whether Nayla could one day follow into her father's footsteps, the New Zealand-trained rider was adamant: No way, at least not her.

"She's a big girl, she was 49cm tall at birth. She can't be a jockey, maybe it'll be the next one," said A'Isisuhairi, clearly keen on more "stallion" duties.

"Most people say she looks more like Jannah, but I think she does have a bit of a resemblance with me, too."