Apr 8, 2025

Lucky To Win and Luen On Feelings look polished in gallops

By his high standards, it has been a couple of quiet race days for trainer Ricky Choi Chun Wai.

He probably did not assemble the cavalry over the last two meetings at Sungai Besi.

The former Macau-based trainer sent in a team of nine – three for the action on April 5 and six on April 6.

His yard managed to secure a win on April 5 when Handsome Joyful went back-to-back in the penultimate Class 4B race (1,020m).

Connections would have been cheering themselves hoarse when the Hong Kong-born handler’s runner led from start to finish.

But, the mood would have subdued on April 6. Choi had no winners to show from his six entries.

Now, there is a one-day, 11-race meeting coming up in Kuala Lumpur on April 12 and Choi could come away with double happiness.

He has entered a compact team of five for the races and he could be pinning his hopes on Lucky To Win and Luen On Feelings.

On a sunny morning on April 8 and with the track rated on the “good” side, both gallopers turned up for a training romp and spectators at the trackside would have been impressed with the work put in by his two runners.

Both went fast. Lucky To Win ran as if in contempt of the clock, returning 38.3sec for the 600m while stablemate Luen On Feelings’ run was just as outstanding, clocking 38.7sec for the same trip.

A seven-year-old gelding by Deep Field, Lucky To Win was first trained by Gary Moore and won once over 1,350m in Australia in 2021. The bay galloper then raced in Macau where he won a 1,800m race in 2023.

Since relocating to Choi’s stable in Selangor at the end of 2024, Lucky To Win has brought up two wins.

He opened his Malaysian account at his second start in the Class 4A event on Dec 15, 2024. Ridden by Ruzaini Supien, he was a runaway winner over the mile.

Four starts later – which makes it his last outing – on March 23, Lucky To Win again came off a spot just off the lead to score over the same trip in a similar race under Harmeet Singh Gill.

Lucky To Win may be getting on in years, but he still has that great “tick of the heart”.

Choi has meticulously prepared him for the Class 4B contest on April 12. It is a 1,500m race – which should suit Lucky To Win.

As for Luen On Feelings, he is a good horse to have in the yard because the four-year-old Australian-bred has been off the board just once in his five starts at the Selangor Turf Club.

The son of Oratorio kicked off his racing career in Macau and won thrice, twice over the 1,500m and once over the 1,800m.

After moving to Malaysia, Luen On Feelings has won twice for Choi.

He made his debut in November 2024 but landed his first win at his third start in a Class 4A race (1,400m) on Dec 15, 2024. Then, he went back-to-back with a second victory in a similar race over 1,600m on Jan 12.

If he finds the front early in the Supreme B race (1,600m) on April 12, he could dig in and make it unbearable for his rivals.

Outside of Choi’s yard, Simon Dunderdale’s runners could continue the good work from the two meetings that just concluded.

The 2024 Malaysian champion trainer has entered a team of 10 for the 11 races on April 12 and he could be looking forward to a fighting show from Military Award.

Military Award ran second to RS Dream at his first and only trial on March 19. He took second in that one, losing out by just half a length over the 1,000m. But, he has yet to face the starter in a race in Malaysia.

The Shamus Award four-year-old gelding was a one-time winner in Geelong, Victoria when trained by Mathew Ellerton. He won that 1,547m Maiden race with loads of authority on Dec 27, 2023.

He also finished second in a 1,425m sprint at Grafton in New South Wales on July 7, 2024, albeit under the care of Matthew Dunn.

Dunderdale has been patient with his new charge. With the New Zealander’s stable firing from all cylinders – he bagged four wins at the two meetings on April 5 and April 6 – the winners might just continue to come in and Military Award could be one of them.

Source : Brian Miller