Apr 23, 2025

Don’t Forget Boss, War Star and Forever Sixty-One win their trials with authority

It has been said – and rightly so – that when jockey Mohd Zaki sits on a front runner, he very often gets the job done.

Yes, the guy is brilliant when it comes to winning races from the get-go.

Indeed, his front-running exploits have been discussed and dissected many times over by racegoers over cups of coffee.

Among the last of the ex-Kranji jockeys to move up north, the Malaysian has yet to open his account in 13 rides. But he did not fail to turn in a “Zaki Special” at the trials at Sungai Besi on April 22.

Given the ride on the David Kok-trained Don’t Forget Boss, Zaki reminded us that one of the merits of winning from the front is you avoid the kickback.

After Zaki easily got Don’t Forget Boss to the front, Infinity Warrior tried to go with him as did Latin Legend. But Zaki just kept lifting the tempo which made the contest unbearable for the rest.

Top of the stretch and with 400m to travel, he was home and hosed. All that was left to be seen was the margin of victory.

Well, it turned out to be eight lengths and – not extended – Don’t Forget Boss did it in a respectable time of 1min 2.38sec.

Credit to Zaki for a copybook ride. But kudos to Don’t Forget Boss who reminded us that he is holding the form which helped him land that last-start win over the 1,700m on April 6.

That day, the son of Preferment won under different riding tactics from jockey Harmeet Singh Gill.

Restrained and allowed to settle near the rear, he came home with big bounding strides to grab the goodies by a comfortable length.

It was Don’t Forget Boss’ first win in Malaysia and, following three wins at Kok’s Kranji stables, his fourth success in total.

Those statistics do tell us that the four-year-old still has a tonne of good racing left in him.

Another runaway winner at the trials was War Star.

He took the third jump-out, and right now, his report card is a glowing testimony to his ability.

Seven wins, two seconds and four thirds from 30 starts. And that is not including his wins at the trials where he is three from three.

Yes, War Star has settled well into his new quarters and for yet another time, we saw it at the trials. He jumped from an outside barrier at the latest, but it did not matter.

Under a cool ride from Andre da Silva, War Star found the front and, like Don’t Forget Boss would do in the next hit-out of the morning, he guarded it – breaking the will of his closest chaser, Infinity Spirit.

War Star would eventually cruise to the line eight lengths ahead of Infinity Spirit who, in turn, had Military Award eating his dust, another 6½ lengths in third.

Trained by Jason Ong, who currently leads the trainers’ standings with 22 winners – three ahead of Simon Dunderdale – War Star has not put a hoof wrong in his two races in the Malaysian capital.

He won first time out on March 23. He was then not disgraced at his last start on April 6 when third to Maze after leading for most of the 1,200m journey.

He was ridden on both occasions by Jerlyn Seow, his partner to three Kranji wins.

Watch the Super One four-year-old when he next goes to the races. When that day arrives, Ong will have him looking like a million bucks.

Forever Sixty-One was another all-the-way winner and he did it in a time of 1min 2.26sec.

It was his second time at the trials and his second win, having beaten The Wild Chief by a nose in a trial on April 2.

Trainer Ananthen Kuppan has entered the newcomer by Belardo in the Novice (1,200m) event coming up on April 27. While Dunderdale and Richard Lines have the advantage of saddling five of the 10 runners in that contest, Forever Sixty-One could spoil the party.

He could help juice up the pot on debut.

Source : Brian Miller