Pools Trophy may feel like S’pore Time for Maia

Ruan Maia will get an extra buzz if Every Time wins the second race at LetsRun Park racecourse in Seoul on Sept 5.

The 150 million won (S$140,000) race is a Special Weight B conditions 1,200m event, but that is not why it may be so special to the Brazilian jockey.

If anything, Maia would be more hyped up the next day when South Korea stages its biggest race, the 1.6 billion won Grade 2 Korea Cup, in which he takes his first ride, outsider Wonpyeong Storm.

Besides, Maia has contested and won countless Special Weight B races since moving to Seoul from Singapore in 2024, the year horse racing shut down in the Republic.

However, a touch of nostalgia might kick in this time when Maia gets his leg-up in the mounting yard. The race is named the Singapore Pools Trophy, amid other international trophy races hosted by the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) as a prelude to Sunday’s marquee meeting.

If Every Time crosses the line first, flashbacks of Group 1 memories from Kranji may well flood his mind during the Singapore-themed prize presentation.

Maia won five feature races at Kranji, including two Group 1 wins with Aramaayo in the Kranji Mile and Raffles Cup in 2020, his breakout season when he finished runner-up to Vlad Duric.

With his mount Every Time seeking a hat-trick of wins, there is a high chance Maia will relive such post-race fanfare.

A three-time runner-up in as many starts as a juvenile last season, the home-bred three-year-old has exploded onto the scene with two powerful on-pace wins in 2026, both over Saturday’s course and distance and with Maia up.

The former two-time Macau champion jockey is hoping for a third win – with that Singapore throwback as a special bonus.

“I had a good time and won a lot of races in Singapore,” said Maia, whose first Kranji ride was remarkably a hit-and-run win with Circuit Land for Lee Freedman in the Group 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) in 2018.

“I wished I could go back, but sadly, it closed down in 2024. I will try my best to win the Singapore Pools Trophy on Every Time.

“I ride him a lot in his trackwork. He’s now up to Class 3, but he has kept improving and I think he’s even better and stronger now.

“The 1,200m distance is great for him, too. There’s not much speed, he can lead but he can also sit in second or third, and I expect him to run a good race.”

While everything points to Maia’s perfect record on the Park Jae-woo-trained Every Time holding sway, the race is far from cut and dried.

Live Star was a well beaten favourite in the Grade 2 KRA Cup Mile (1,600m) in Busan in March, snapping his run of three wins in a row.

The colt fared even worse when last in the Grade 1 Korean Derby (1,800m) back on his Seoul home track at his next start on May 3, but has since bounced back with a win and a second in easier company, both over 1,800m.

The only query is the sharp drop back in trip to 1,200m, but if the speed is on, the Moon Byeong-ki-trained galloper will be among the swoopers.

Breedo Aqua, a promising two-time winning filly from four starts and Flutter, who just like Live Star, ran the KRA Cup Mile off three consecutive victories, but struggled in the Grade 2 feature, could complete the quartet.

Maia is also looking forward to his Korea Cup ride even if the task looks daunting against Japanese defending champion Diktaean.

“I’ve ridden Wonpyeong Storm four times and won on him at my first ride, which was over 1,800m,” said Maia in reference to the Jung Ho-ik-trained US-bred entire’s last of seven wins on Sept 29, 2025.

“He was unbeaten in five starts early in his career. I remember I rode him in a trial last year and he nearly broke the record.

“But even if his form has dropped in the last three or four runs, I still believe in him. Every single Cup race is always very tough to win and I’ll ride him for luck.”

manyan@sph.com.sg