01 December 2024, Kuala Lumpur

At the age of nine years -old, Cheval Blanc has proved that class is permanent after winning the 2024 Pialas Emas Sultan Selangor fighting off his younger challengers such as Golden Pegasus and Berry Bliss. It was a stop start race as the pace was hot early on from Good Fight who ensured an honest gallop down the back straight and to be able to stay on to finish fourth is a testament to what a gutsy horse he is. However, today was not his day as the striking grey in the silks of RC & Team Cheval watched the race unfold from over a dozen lengths back going past the 1000m mark. SU Lim was very patient aboard the Frank Maynard trained runner and going past the 700m mark, slowly started to creep closer without giving too much away. 

By the time they reached the top of the straight, Cheval Blanc had just over five lengths to find and under the urgings of SU Lim, switched him to the outside to allow a clear run down the home straight. This arguably won him the race because had he decided to go inside, he would have found traffic with Berry Bliss hanging towards the inside and a fading Good Fight. Berry Bliss picked up the lead in the final 400m and it looked like he had enough in the tank but found the 2000m trip a touch too far and Cheval Blanc, despite looking like he hit a flat spot at the 400m mark, fought right back to win on the line with no more than a length separating the first three across the line. It was certainly an exciting race and a great way to close off the Triple Crown Series contested over the various distances. 

It was a great day for trainer Frank Maynard as he won the Singapore Pools Trophy with Chinese Tea at generous odds. He went start to finish under M Ekdihar. N Selvan also had a double on the day with Rocky Bhai winning the Betmakers Cup and closing off the race meeting with God’s Gift who has now three times since moving to Malaysia. Of the jockeys the races were even shared with only one jockey having a double on the day and that was AL Da Silva who won the Melbourne Racing Club Trophy with Tornado Pegasus as well as Aeras in Jockey Club of Turkey Trophy. 

Racing returns to the Selangor Turf Club next week Sunday on the 8th of December.

Devon Pretorius