Monday, 20 January 2020: Trainer Lee Freedman was in brilliant form on Saturday after he walked away with a hat-trick of wins.

EXCELLING winning the CLASS 3

He had to, however, share the training honours with reigning Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker, who emulated the feat with Lai Mak Mak, Altair and Sacred Gift.

After a surprise winner in Circuit Star got the ball rolling for Freedman, two more expected fancies Mr Alejandro and Excelling   did not let their backers down in their respective contests, handing the 2018 Singapore champion trainer his best day at the office thus far in the new 2020 season.

"It's great to get three winners," said Freedman, who also owns the third Leg winner, Excelling.

"I think the race was won (for Excelling) when he was able to control the race over the favourite (My Dreamliner). We didn't have a plan B, just hoping it would work out.

"He's a good horse, he's now had three wins for us and what can I say about Simon. I think this kid will make a good jockey."

Freedman was of course being a touch facetious. Unless you have been under a rock, everybody would have seen the prodigious talent of the Ipoh-born and equestrian-trained youngster, and known he is last year's champion apprentice jockey at only his second season.

Already well clear on this year's log, Kok has now extended that lead further with that eighth win. He now sits comfortably on top with a five-win lead on Walker's new apprentice jockey Hakim Kamaruddin.

"Lee Freedman has supported me from my first days of riding and it's a pleasure to win for him again," said Kok, who incidentally gave the Australian his first 2020 winner with Karisto last Friday week.

"The horse (Excelling) was a bit touchy in the barriers today. The handler did a good job to keep him still.

"I thought Syafiq (Iskandar Rosman) wanted to lead but my horse is fast and has natural speed, so I just let him take the lead."

Excelling never came back to My Dreamliner in the home straight. Of all people, Iskandar, who rode the five-year-old son of Manhattan Rain for his master to an all-the-way barrier trial win two weeks ago, would have a fair clue he was clutching at straws.

Off and gone at the 100m, Excelling romped in by 2 ½ lengths from My Dreamliner with Coming Through (Louis-Philippe Beuzelin) steaming home for third another neck away. The winning time was 1min 4.27secs for the 1100m on the Polytrack.

With his cut of the prizemoney being around $40,000 for that third win in six starts, Excelling has now bumped his earnings up to around the $125,000 mark for Freedman.