Mar 5, 2025

Winners hailing everywhere from ex-Macau trainer – two at races, ditto at barrier trials

Even at this early stage of proceedings, one thing seems obvious. Ricky Choi harbours high hopes and is dead serious about taking the trainer’s premiership at his first full season in Malaysia.

So far, you could say that the former Macau-based conditioner has been building a huge fan base among racegoers.

Right now, he sits joint-second on the table with nine winners. That is two adrift of Simon Dunderdale and level with Richard Lines.

Choi pulled off a double at the recently concluded meeting on March 1 and, as if to prove that it was no fluke, he produced two winners at the trials held on the morning of March 4.

He took the opener with Platinum Emperor and followed it up with Rhythn Of Zen in the third, with both winners ridden by Nuqman Rozi.

Back to that opening trial which was run over the 1,100m – instead of the usual 1,000m flyer – on a track rated good.

Indeed, when the field had settled and were about to make that first left-hander on the far side of the track, he was sitting sixth as Circuit Mission locked horns up front with Berry Bliss.

Nuqman only spurred his mount into action at the 400m mark and quickly sat at the withers of Circuit Mission. Golden Pegasus moved into third spot.

A furlong out and Choi’s “Emperor” had the trial win all signed, sealed and delivered.

He would eventually coast in with a length to spare from Golden Pegasus. Unsighted for most of the trip, Antipodean showed his class by dropping in to take third.

Platinum Emperor stopped the clock at 1min 8.18sec, which turned out to be the fastest of the morning.

So, Choi does not just win races and trials. He does both in style.

A five-year-old Kiwi-bred by Sweynesse, Platinum Emperor is one-for-one in Malaysia.

That winning debut came on Feb 2 when, on the big stage – in the Wilayah Silver Bowl, no less.

In that 1,200m race at Sungai Besi, he came from near last at the halfway stage to beat outsider Shirvo by 2¼ lengths.

Choi has big plans for Platinum Emperor, who was a big hit in Macau where he won eight races from 26 starts.

As for Rhythm Of Zen, the Time Test four-year-old took the lead from the get-go from the innermost gate, never to give it back.

Indeed, such was his dominance that when the dust had settled, Rhythm Of Zen had coasted in a seven-length winner in 1min 8.91sec.

Source : Brian Miller