The passing of Rocket Man closes the final chapter on one of the most remarkable careers ever produced in Singapore racing — a horse whose brilliance carried the dreams of a stable, an owner, and a nation onto the global stage. Pat Shaw recalled some of the star horses highlights in an interview with SAHorseracing.COM. 

For his longtime trainer Patrick Shaw, the champion sprinter was never just another racehorse. He was a once-in-a-lifetime talent who reminded him of why he first fell in love with the sport growing up in South Africa.

“From the moment I first laid eyes on him at the Magic Millions sale — that explosive colt by Viscount out of Macrosa — I knew we had something special,” Shaw once said of the colt who would change his life.

Purchased for A$60,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale for owner Fred Crabbia by Andy Williams, the son of Viscount went on to become the most famous horse ever trained out of Singapore.

Rocket Man’s career was defined by speed, courage and a willingness to travel the world. At a time when Singapore-trained horses rarely ventured far from home, he took his connections to racing’s biggest stages — Dubai, Hong Kong and Japan — proving he could match strides with the best sprinters anywhere.

“Those international raids weren’t just races; they were adventures that shared experiences we’ll carry forever,” Shaw reflected when looking back on the journey.

One of the defining moments came in 2011 when Rocket Man stormed to victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, a triumph that cemented his reputation as a world-class sprinter.

“I was confident all week because I have never had him better,” Shaw said after the race.

The globetrotting star also contested major races in Hong Kong and Japan, including a dramatic dead-heat in the Jockey Club Sprint and a brave fourth against elite company in the Sprinters Stakes.

Guided at different times by top riders including Felix Coetzee, Barend Vorster and Robbie Fradd, Rocket Man thrilled racing fans with his relentless finishing bursts and remarkable consistency.

“Felix Coetzee, Barend Vorster, Robbie Fradd — your rides were poetry,” Shaw once said in tribute to the jockeys who partnered the champion.

By the time his racing career ended, Rocket Man’s record stood among the most impressive of any Singapore-based horse: 20 victories from 27 starts, including 12 black-type wins and earnings exceeding S$6.7 million.

His achievements included victory in the 2011 Dubai Golden Shaheen, triumph in the KrisFlyer International Sprint that same year, four consecutive wins in the Lion City Cup, and multiple Singapore Horse of the Year titles from 2009 through 2012.

“I once said, ‘He’s the best horse in the world. I’m not just saying it because it’s Rocket Man — I mean it,’” Shaw famously remarked during the peak of the horse’s career.

But beyond the trophies and records, Rocket Man’s story carried a deeper meaning for his trainer.

“My love for horses didn’t start with Rocket Man. It started when I was just a boy growing up in South Africa,” Shaw explained. “My grandfather and father were both in racing, so I was in the game from the day I could walk.” Shaw famously trained the diminutive Teal to victory in the Durban July before leaving to Singapore. 

After retiring from racing in 2016 at Kranji, Rocket Man spent his later years enjoying a quieter life in South Africa, far removed from the roar of grandstands that once greeted his every stride. He was at the late Jane Thomas's farm Far End and then after her death moved to Emma Rouke's small holding where Fred Crabbia houses his retirees. 

His death now marks the end of an era — not only for those who trained and owned him, but for racing fans who watched a Singapore-based sprinter conquer the world.

For Shaw, the memory of the horse who defined his training career remains as powerful as ever.

“He never ceased to amaze me,” he said.

Even now, long after his final race, Rocket Man’s legacy continues to gallop through the history of international sprinting.