Feb 19, 2025

Former Kranji gallopers War Star, Flying Fighter also show their wares in the trials

Arigato looked to be saying “thank you” to his rivals when winning the morning’s opening trial at Sungai Besi on Feb 18.

Ridden by senior track rider Mohd Ekdihar, Arigato was the most impressive of the six winners of the day.

Indeed, after taking the lead from the get-go, he never handed it back.

He seemed to relish the yielding going and, when push did come to shove at the furlong mark, Arigato could have also thrown in “sayonara” as he lengthened strides.

He eventually coasted in with three lengths to spare. Trainer Winson Cheng Han Yong’s Dancing Supremo slotted into second spot, half a length ahead of the Simon Dunderdale-trained Bransom.

A six-year-old by Charm Spirit, Arigato clocked a smart time of 1min 0.85sec. It turned out to be the fastest of the morning.

An expensive purchase at the sales – he went under the hammer for NZ$150,000 (S$115,000) as a two-year-old – and plying his trade mostly in Macau, Arigato raced 26 times for nine wins.

Arriving in Malaysia on Aug 6, he had his first race start on Nov 3. That was in Ipoh and he took fourth to Shang Chi after leading for most of the 1,300m trip.

Barely 49 days later, on Dec 22, he turned up at Kuala Lumpur and, in a race over the 1,200m he blew away his rivals – leading all the way to beat Sincerely by 2½ lengths.

With natural progression, Arigato could soon be contesting the big-money races.

Another good winner at the trials was War Star.

Ridden by Akmazani Mazuki, and jumping from an inside gate, the Super One four-year-old was neatly into stride and quickly took a spot behind the frontrunner, Stop The Water – the mount of Laercio de Souza.

Racing widest of the lot to avoid the kickback, War Star eyeballed Stop The Water at the furlong mark. Clicking into action 100m from home, he easily claimed the trial with a ½-length to spare.

Stop The Water held on for second. Doing his best work late, Nimbus Star came grinding up the straight like an honest brawler to take third spot.

But on the morning, it was all about War Star. If anything, the win at the trials – his second in February – told us that trainer Jason Ong’s work is almost done.

The rough edges have been knocked off. War Star can soon resume his winning ways, like he did six times for his two-time Singapore champion trainer at Kranji.

All that is left to be done for Ong is to pick a race for his money-spinner who has cashed in more than $150,000 for his connections.

Another one who could make a flashy Malaysian debut is Flying Fighter.

Formerly with Steven Burridge in Singapore but now under the care of Richard Lines, Flying Fighter was not asked to do anything more than just win his trial.

And that he did, under his own steam.

Ridden by former Kranji-based jockey Ng Choon Kiat, the son of Showtime cleared the gates without much bother and quickly settled into second spot, behind the leader, Fortune Wheel.

There he stayed until 250m out when he lengthened strides to claim the lead.

He then held off Fortune Wheel to win by a neck.

Legend Of Niagara, who was always on the leaders’ backs, stayed on for third.

Flying Fighter ran out the trip in a respectable time of 1min 1.51sec.

The outing on Feb 18 was Flying Fighter’s third trial and although he had gone faster at his last two trials – 1min 1.49sec on Dec 31 and 1min 0.7sec on Jan 21 – this one was full of intent and Lines would have been pleased, especially since the short and sharp 1,000m is not Flying Fighter’s ideal trip.

Watch for the day he goes over 1,400m and beyond.

That is when we should really see him flying home.

Source : Brian Miller