Racing: Chua doesn't mind that 'Class 5' tag

It may have been a race-to-race double in his "usual province" of lower racing grade, but the nice haul saw trainer Sam Chua leapfrog over no fewer than seven trainers to hurl himself into the Top 10 of the Singapore trainer's premiership on Sunday.

The successive victories of Hear Me, ridden by John Sundradas in the $35,000 Class 5 race over 1,600m, and SOON YI - the mount of Oscar Chavez - in the $55,000 Class 4 Division 1 race over 1,200m brought Chua's score to eight wins.

That's a score shared by trainers Stephen Gray and Michael Clements, but, with Chua having a better countback for seconds, he takes eighth spot ahead of them.

The trio of trainers are just five wins off the leader Alwin Tan.

Save for Cavallo, all of Chua's winners have come from either Class 4 or 5 company, or maiden races, but the Singapoeran conditioner does not mind the "Class 5 trainer" tag - not one bit.

"If I can pick up some stakes money for the owners, I don't really care if they are Class 5 races. It's the win that counts," said Chua.

"I don't have superstars in my stable, but I have a good team of owners behind me. I'm happy to win the races that suit these horses."

With only moderate support behind Hear Me - who paid $48 on the win tote - and Soon Yi, who rewarded his connections with a $55 payout, Chua said he had not been holding his breath for both to salute on Sunday.

"But, I was still keeping his fingers crossed for a good performance - with a win from either being a bonus. "The wins were not really expected. I was just hoping for a good run," said Chua.

"Soon Yi has a bad habit of beginning slowly, but I think he's mended his ways since Oscar started riding him. He was against some good horses, but he did a good job to win."

After tracking up the early leaders in third spot, the US-bred Soon Yi attacked the line with plenty of resolve before taking the measure of better-fancied horses like Mangatangi - Danny Beasley's mount - and Luwak Coffee, who for a while gave the impression he could give visiting Adelaide boom apprentice Jamie Kah her first Kranji win.

Soon Yi may have taken the whole length of the Kranji home straight to find that extra kick, but he eventually wore his opponents down to score by half-a-length from Mangatangi with Luwak Coffee third another head away.

The winning time was 1min 10.95sec for the 1,200m on the Long Course.

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