Trainer Shane Ellis’ stable may be in a rebuilding stage since his return to training, but he has plenty to be excited about after the promising New Zealand import, Misty Swift, remained unbeaten locally following a dominant second-up display in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
Misty Swift arrived in Malaysia with a moderate track record, boasting just one victory and two placements in 14 races back in the Land of the Long White Cloud.
However, the five-year-old showcased remarkable improvement since his arrival, evident in his effortless victory in a Class 4 Handicap (1200m) during his Malaysian debut last month.
Misty Swift reinforced his first-up victory with another above-average performance on Sunday, securing an 11.5-length victory in the Max Two Stakes and confirming the punters’ confidence as they made him the RM6 favourite.
Among Ellis’ three-horse stable, Misty Swift has quickly become his flag-bearer after two effortless wins, and the Perth native believes the gelding can rise to the top.
“Very nice horse and I think he will go all the way,” said Ellis.
“He has improved a lot since his last win. I didn’t do much with him, just kept him fresh in between races.
“It (the win today) has come at a right time because the New Zealand sales is on now. Hopefully I can go down there and find another one like him!”
“This is a weak field,” said jockey Nuqman when commenting on the big margin of victory (Topweight SHIMI GO, unbeaten in two starts, and TAKREEM, a runner up last time out, were course scratchings.) “But he has a big heart and we will definitely see more of him next year.”
