Local trainer Asogan Thangaraja has had a relatively quiet start to the season after posting a personal best 33 winners last year striking at 14%.
Seven-year-old mare FLAMING PHOENIX has performed well in four runs for the camp since November and is a chance to break an eighteen-month drought in the 1400m Class 5B (Race 1). Descending to a career low rating of 27 points, she comes off three minor placings in a row and drops back to the “B” division of Class 5.
Another Ipoh trainer, William Looi will be represented by a couple of veteran campaigners at ten years of age this Sunday in the form of SALAMENCE in Race 2 (1400m Class 5A) and BIONICS engaged in Race 4 (1100m Class 5B). SALAMENCE has not scored since winning at his first couple of Malaysian runs back in March last year when prepared by Richard Lim and recent form suggests he is nearing a win. The gelding has started seven times recording three placings for the Looi stable and the former Class 2 performer is a definite watch, fifth start back in his grade.
BIONICS has won three times from six attempts at the track and distance and like his stable mate, is also searching for his first success since March last year. The Hinchinbrook gelding has also descended to a career low of 26 points and looks well weighted with the 54.5kg. One horse to watch here is LAXON, which resumes and has been working well at the track in recent weeks. The five-year-old races best when freshened and may provide the value.
From the trial session conducted at the track here on Tuesday morning, GOLDEN SHOW and SILVER JOY both performed well recording sub-minute performances for the their respective 1000m trial wins on the sand. Both runners clashed in a 1200m contest on January 4 with GOLDEN SHOW finishing 3rd and SILVER JOY 4th, a further 1.5L behind in the race won by Legend Of The Sun. The rematch occurs in the 1400m Class 5B contest (Race 8) as they go up against recent winner, ELECTRONIC BOOM who possesses a good record over the 1400m trip.
Former Macau galloper FLAWLESS, engaged in Race 9, created an immediate impact on the local circuit when scoring by eight lengths in a Class 3 on his Malaysian debut back in November 2024 before following up with further success in a Supreme B contest for trainer Ricky Choi. The horse was known as Revue back then before a change in name and ownership developed early last year and the horse was transferred to Wayne Lim for his 2025 campaign. Since then, the seven-year-old has performed admirably without winning against the high graded opposition contested in Selangor and despite a couple of unsuccessful visits to Ipoh recently, the Delago Deluxe gelding may find his niche back in Class 4. His former stable mate, WHO LOVE TO DANCE is coming off a recent 2nd here two starts back will be looking to break his Malaysian duck. The locally trained BRANDENBURG is racing well since joining the Khor Peng Hwa stable chalking up a 5.25L win over this track and journey on December 28 prior to his last start defeat.
