Article: Horsing around

Saturday July 4, 2009

By REVATHI MURUGAPPAN

Professional race horse trainer Johnny Lim secured the coveted Champion Trainer title during his first season last year.

THE five horses, with their blinkers on, and the jockeys get into the gate without much fanfare. All except Royal General, who is having a bad day.

He is having a sudden attack of claustrophobia and refuses to go in.

Champion trainer Johnny Lim clinched his first champion title in July 2008, a year after receiving his Racing Association licence. - Pix by SHAARI CHEMAT

Trainer Johnny Lim Boon Thong blindfolds him with a black cloth but to no avail. The horse is stubborn and lets out a neigh and protests by moving in circles. Sweat trickles down Lim's forehead, and he has a word with apprentice jockey H.S. Gill, who is riding the obstinate fellow. Lim strikes his whip several times. Nothing.

The horses at the gate are getting agitated. Precious time is ticking away as these prized racing horses cannot be out in the scorching sun beyond 10am. Lim instructs his staff to proceed with this round of official race trials, minus Royal General.

And off they go, an ambulance accompanying on the side. . . just in case a jockey falls off and gets injured.

Lim's next batch of horses trot in, but Royal General still hasn't changed his mind. This time, it takes the trainer's stern voice and 10 men to push and pull him into the gates. While horses don't understand languages, they respond to voice pitch.

One, two, three, the gates open and the horses fly. Lim observes his charges on binoculars. Royal General breaks from the pack and emerges first. Lim's expression changes to a satisfied grin. Another day of training is completed and he walks over to me.

"He's just like a naughty kid, problematic sometimes but he's a smart horse. He's got brains," says the 45-year-old professional trainer based at the Selangor Turf Club.

Lim, who was granted his Malaysian Racing Association licence in July 2007, clinched his first champion trainer title in Malaysia in 2008 — a remarkable feat considering it was his first full season (Jan-Dec). He saddled 71 wins, 31 seconds and 39 thirds (second and third placing) to give him the coveted title. However, at the recent Dewar's 12 Sprint race, none of the horses from his stables secured prizes. You win some, you lose some.

Johnny Lim cracks his whip on Royal General who was having a bad day.

Lim is unperturbed.

As a trainer, Lim, with his staff of 54, prepares horses for races, monitors their diet and maintains the animal's body condition by administering a series of daily workouts. Exercises include putting them on the walker for warm-ups, official trial sessions to ensure a clean jump, trots in deep sand to strengthen their joints, pool sessions, long canters and speed work.

"I emphasise endurance and love to swim them. For speed work, I try to get them to race below 13 seconds in one furlong (200m). Horses are like humans — some are lazy but will do well in races," says Lim who has 100 horses under his guidance.

Race horses are either sprinters or stayers (races longer distances), and anyone can buy them but they must be able to afford the upkeep. Lim agrees that horse racing is for the super rich. Each horse costs a minimum of RM200,000 while the monthly maintenance is RM4,000.

Like jockeys, trainers may be under contract to a particular owner or they might supervise horses belonging to several owners.

Says Lim, who also owns eight horses, "I'd advise owners to be sole proprietors, or else quarrels happen because they all want different training styles."

Four or five times a year, Lim hops on a plane and scouts for horses. His favourites are studs from Australia and New Zealand. Sprinters have a shorter career span but stayers fetch a higher price. They can go up to RM20 mil!

"If I think it's a sprinter, I'll look at the speed. Choosing is based on instinct, and you need to have a good pair of eyes. I like strong horses with a nice head and big legs. Of course, selecting the best is also an age game. Experience counts but race results depend on how you train them."

Who finishes first in a race depends on the quality, body condition and racing luck. And, whether the jockey makes the right move at the right time.

Strategy is an important part of racing, particularly in contests of a mile or longer. Horses that possess early speed lead as soon as the race begins, while jockeys on horses that come from behind gallop more slowly at first to save energy for a stronger effort in the end stretch. Who finishes first depends on the animal's quality, body condition and racing luck — whether the jockeys make the right move at the right time.

"When the horse gets heated up, it doesn't feel any pain. It pushes past the pain barrier and only feels pain the next day."

In addition to the race being scrutinised by stipendiary stewards and recorded by the film patrol, photoelectric timers measure the leading horse's time at specific spots around the track and at the finish line. There is minimal allowance for dirty tactics.

"The challenge is to get a problematic horse to win a race because the owner has invested heavily. Sometimes the horse may be hot headed and doesn't want to gallop or go into the gates.

"If they're disobedient, you have to punish them. I hit them and if they're good, I pull their ears. If the horse is too problematic, I retire them and maybe send them to riding schools. It's too dangerous to race them as the jockey can get killed if the horse breaks down," explains Lim.

Choosing the appropriate jockey is Lim's discretion.

He says, "I don't want to sound arrogant but when you're at the top, you get the privilege of choosing the horses and jockeys. Certain jockeys suit certain horses but for Cup races, I prefer engaging senior jockeys."

No, Lim does not ride horses or test them prior to a race. He leaves that to his stable boys but decides which horses should race for the week.

"I can ride but don't do it anymore because I'm not fit. These thoroughbreds are machines that just run and run. I have never raced a horse. Jockeys need to be small so it's a lighter burden on the horse. Look at me, I'm big!" he jokes.

Malaysia has sent horses to international meets but they always come home empty-handed. It's simply too expensive. Hence, Lim concentrates only on the MRA races.

How he got into the business

Lim's foray into horse racing came naturally.

"I caught a virus," he says, laughing. "My dad was a horse owner, I had ex-classmates who were jockeys, my neighbours were trainers so how could I escape? Racing was the in-thing then so that's how I was influenced. Besides, I studied commerce in college but didn't do well in school."

Lim started as a syce in Singapore in 1996 under Charles Leck, another champion trainer. He picked up valuable skills, learnt the ropes, then moved to Malaysia in 1999 and rose to the rank of assistant trainer in 2004. The highlight of his career was capturing the Perak Derby on Kiko's Return (one of his favourite horses) last year and scoring 10 wins in a single race meeting. It was a beautiful feeling for Lim.

Horse racing can be a lucrative profession, especially if you're a horse owner and the horse wins. The winning money is split between the trainer and jockey who get 5.5% each while the owner pockets the rest. In the MRA circuit, the prize money ranges from RM35,000 for weekly races to RM1.35 million for the Penang Governor's Gold Cup.

Every day during non-race days, Lim is up at 5.30am and in the stables by 6.15am, noting how the horses are faring during training. He's back home by 2pm and since his wife and five children live in Singapore, the TV keeps Lim company.

"I have no nightlife and few friends as I have to be careful who I mix with. I keep a simple life and only go out to please owners. People keep calling me all the time to ask for tips and I try to avoid these calls. Why ask for trouble?" he frowns.

Before being granted an MRA licence, trainers have to make sure they are not bankrupt, have no criminal records, have no pending corruption charges and must produce at least 10 winners a year. The license is subject to yearly renewal. Indeed, it's a competitive game where results count.

Lim is euphoric over his new title and the trophy and RM60,000 cash that came with it, although he spent most of it rewarding his staff.

"It's a personal achievement for me but really, a lot of it is teamwork." And what does the winning horse get?

"A pat on the head and a carrot!" he cheekily responds.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Lifestyle: Focus, 4 July 2009