Kuala Lumpur, Oct 12

Lonely Boy (Lethal Force – Havelovewilltravel by Holy Roman Emperor), who has already won eight races this season, deservingly takes pride of place in the RM150,000 Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) at Sungei Besi here this Sunday.

Back in April, the English gelding had his first crack at a big race when he finished fourth to Awesome Storm in the Tunku Gold Cup (1200m).

But the six-year-old has since proven his worth over longer journeys with four consecutive wins up to 1600m.

Lonely Boy, winner of one race as a juvenile in England, was unbeaten in two runs in Malaysia before heading south to Singapore where he was placed once in three runs.

Back in Malaysia, he struggled to find his form in four starts last year but has improved by leaps and bounds this year. He looks the one run beat in the 12-horse field. The Selangor Gold Cup is the second leg of the Selangor Turf Club Triple Crown series.

Just like the other two races in Triple Crown series, the Selangor Gold Cup returns after a lapse of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sharing top-weight with Lonely Boy this Sunday is Violet (Mint Lane – Wings Of Alice by Testa Rossa).

This year, the seven-year-old has struggled to find the form that took him to 12 victories since 2018, including back-to-back wins at the tailend of last year.

But still, in limited starts in 2022, Violet managed a creditable third in the Tunku Gold Cup and it will be his first test over the ’mile’.

Shanghai Nights (Ferlax – Bigmissy by Zabeel) was one of the most improved horses in the last two years with eight consecutive wins but he was out of action for 12 months until he returned to racing in May this year, finishing second first-up.

The New Zealand entire then scored a comeback win over 1400m two months ago, beating Ahtims Klis (Playing God – Miss Mahal by Canny Lad) who is also in the line-up on Sunday. Shanghai Nights will have no problem tackling the trip as he has won up to 1800m in his 11 wins.

Trainer Cheng Han Yong has sought the services of Singapore-based rider Simon Kok Wei Hoong on the seven-year-old.

Ahtims Klis (no 8) had reeled off four consecutive wins early in the season and bounced back with another success two starts back. The seven-year-old mare, winner of two races in Australia, has won six times since she arrived in Malaysia.

Kong Fu Panda (Showcasing – Hermitage by Generous), one of the most exciting prospects in the country, will face his biggest test yet this Sunday.

The four-year-old, who will be the youngest horse in the field, has picked up seven wins in 11 starts since making his debut in May last year.

Last time out, he was beaten by a neck by Eye Guy, in a Supreme A set-weight race over 1400m on this track.

Trainer Tiang Kim Choi has always held Kong Fu Panda in high regards and even predicted that the horse will win a big race one day. Could this be it?

Eye Guy (Bradbury’s Luck – Lacada Point by Giant’s Causeway), winner of four races in Singapore, has bounced back this season with three wins up to 1800m.

Interestingly, jockey-of-the-moment Rueven Ravindra will ride Black Thorn (Redwood – Veva Girl by Fastnet Rock), a horse he rode to victory in the gelding’s last start back in June.

Rueven was on fire in Ipoh last Sunday where he won six of the seven races on the card.

Black Thorn, now nine years old, had won two of his last three starts though he was probably at his peak in 2019 when he finished second in the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2000m) and the Selangor Gold Cup (second behind Sacred Empire) and third in the Penang Gold Cup (2000m).

The question mark this Sunday is over his fitness, having sat out the last four months.

The Tunku Gold Cup in April was a one-horse race (Awesome Storm won by eight and a half lengths) but the Selangor Gold Cup is expected to be a much closer contest.

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