It didn’t take long for the T Asogan stable to hit the ground running for the new season as the Ipoh based trainer chalked up three winners here at the last meeting conducted a fortnight ago.
One of those successful runners for the camp was JEWEL SIXTY-ONE, which finally broke the Malaysian duck at start number twenty-one in the country and is a definite chance of back-to-back success in the 1000m Class 5B (Race 1). Scoring by 2.25L over the 1100m trip, he strikes another winnable contest whilst remaining in the “B” division of this grade. Locally trained ten-year-old BIONICS finished 4th in that same race after racing on speed and will be looking to break the 11-month drought.
Another of Asogan’s winners that day was FLAMING PHOENIX, which scored decisively by 2.25L over 1400m notching his first win for the camp. Like his stable mate mentioned previously, FLAMING PHOENIX remains in the “B” division and strikes a substandard lineup in the 1400m Class 5B (Race 5). If he can emulate that performance, he will take a power of beating despite the outside draw with A Suriya to retain the mount. ELECTRONIC BOOM does have the tendency to mix his form but did score over Saturday’s track and trip on December 28 and looks a chance despite going up 6.5kg in the weights.
The William Looi trained SILVER JOY is on the verge of winning again in the other division of the 1400m Class 5B (Race 7). The ten-year-old is reliable from the barriers and has the pace to overcome his wide draw in his search for his first win since December 6 where he scored over Saturday’s journey on the long course. He received every chance after leading to finish second, beaten 3.5L, behind GOLDEN SHOW two weeks back. AIR BOSS can be hard to follow at times but on best form is capable while RICHARD MULE has descended down the ratings scale for a number of months and the former Class 3 galloper can strike without surprising.
WINNING STRIDE was able to hold off MAN OF ACTION in a 1400m Enrich Stakes A contest here on January 18 and the pair will square off again in the 1600m Cosmo C (Race 8). WINNING STRIDE was having its second run for the Kevin Coetzee stable and he duly obliged with a half-length victory. MAN OF ACTION started favourite that day and will meet WINNING STRIDE 4kg worse from that previous meeting after the Haikal Hanif claim comes into play. MAN OF ACTION is yet to win at six attempts over the mile which is the query while SNOW STORM has struck form with two comfortable victories at Class 4 level and can easily chalk up the winning hat trick despite the class rise.
LUCKY LYLE is overdue for a win and is a chance of breaking through in the 1200m Class 4A (Race 11). Runner up at his past three starts, the former Australian galloper possesses an abundance of early pace as displayed last start when he led from barrier eleven and from barrier four this weekend, he can break the ten-month winning drought. BEAUTY CHOICE is another former Aussie which scored over 1000m a fortnight ago and will take some beating again with the 59kg and HS Gill aboard. TALKINGTALKINGGURU strung four wins a row towards the end of last year with comeback jockey Rueven Ravindra to take the mount. THIEN MA cannot be discounted stepping up from a Restricted Maiden win here on December 6 and was sharpened up with a satisfactory trial performance here recently.
