Apr 9, 2025

Aeras, Kitsune and Contarelli show their mettle in hit-outs ahead of their next races

Tight finishes were the order of the day at the Selangor Turf Club barrier trials at Sungai Besi on the morning of April 8.

Indeed, those who were trackside at 9.10am onwards were treated to some really exciting hit-outs.

Okay, the times returned for the 1,000m on grass and sand were not the thing one would write home about.

But the manner in which the combatants went about their work would have made for some animated chatter among Selangor’s die-hard racing fans.

Take Aeras for example. Ridden by Andre da Silva, he took the lead on settling and, for most of the trip, he was niggled and nudged by Circuit Mission, the mount of apprentice Nazir Aiman.

Into the straight and Circuit Mission, already a 10-year-old, seemed to have got the edge of the Zacinto six-year-old.

He gently but surely held Aeras together and coaxed him home.

The margin was a nose but what mattered was that Aeras seemed to be striding out well after the line, and that in itself was an indication that the last-start winner could well be on his way to a race-to-race double.

Yes, Aeras, who clocked 1min 02.06sec for the gallop, has been entered for the Class 4 (A) race over the 1,200m on April 12 and, although he has not raced since Dec 1, his trial showing indicated that he could have benefited from the break in racing.

Keep him on your radar. This Winson Cheng Han Yong-trained runner could help spice up the novelty bets in that race coming up.

Dangerous Chance, who was third in that same trial, is another who must be respected when he turns up for that other Class 4 (A) sprint over the 1,000m on April 12.

Another one from Cheng’s barn, Dangerous Chance has not won a race since Feb 26, 2023. However, he did make the frame in two of his last three outings – and that must surely count for something.

So, accord him the respect he deserves. His trial was good and that long-awaited third win could come sooner rather than later.

Following that tight finish in the first trial we had Kitsune, Elite Prince and Power Projection produce a similar sort of finish in the second hit-out.

This time, however, it was Kitsune who came from third spot at the 500m mark to power home.

The Japanese-bred eventually took top spot in a three-way finish, beating Richard Lim’s newcomer Elite Prince by a head with Joseph Leck’s Power Projection hanging on for third – a further short head away.

The winner clocked 1min 02.16sec. But the manner in which he powered home from third at the top of the stretch, would have earned him mentions in many quarters.

Trained by Frank Maynard, whose runners pulled off three wins at the just-concluded two-day meeting at Sungai Besi, Kitsune has had two races for Maynard and both times he finished down the course.

However, Maynard has put him through numerous trials and that last one was his fifth since Dec 17, 2024.

It was also his second trial win, having taken a victory when he strode home over the short and sharp 400m on Jan 28.

The Henry Barows four-year-old seems to be coming along just fine. While he is not about to rock the house down, he could be ready to start paying for his keep at Maynard’s stalls. Accord him some respect when he next goes to the races.

The showing by Elite Prince was also something to savour.

Yet to show up in a race in Selangor, Elite Prince landed as a three-time trial winner at Wangaratta and Wodonga in Victoria, Australia.

However, Lim has not left the Bon Hoffa three-year-old idling in his stall.

That trial on April 8 was his third hit-out.

He won two of those over the 1,000m straight course. Both times saw him leading from start to finish.

This latest one was an Official Race Trial – or an ORT – which he passed.

The other fighting win on the day was conjured up by Contarelli.

He came home from off the pace to beat Tangesh by a short head with early leader Kim Power having to settle for third – another neck away. The trial was on the sand track.

A maiden in 13 starts at Kranji, Contarelli has thrived since joining Nick Selvan – who saddled a treble on April 5 – recording two wins.

However, he disappointed big-time at his last start Feb 9. Sent off as joint-first favourite, he plodded home seventh after having to travel wide for most of the trip.

The Caravaggio five-year-old is better than that showing suggests and deserves another chance.

Source : Brian Miller