KUALA LUMPUR:  Apr 14, 2024

The fairytale of CHEVAL BLANC in Malaysia continued to charm racegoers, this time with a last-stride victory in the Equine Sanctuary Tunku Gold Cup (1200m) at Sungai Besi here today.
 
Written off after two minor wins in Singapore, the Irish gelding had to endure nearly a year on the sidelines before his phenomenal rise from Class 3 to win four of his five starts thus far in the country.

That run of victories included the Penang Gold Cup (2000m) last December when he made most of the running to win by a short head.

CHEVAL BLANC showed that he can mix it up with the sprinters just as well when jumped smartly and settled just behind the early leaders SHIMI GO and KONG FU PANDA in the Cup today.

CHINESE TEA took over the running at the halfway stage from SHIMI GO with CHEVAL BLANC still third while KONG FU PANDA was eased back on the rails.

CHINESE TEA and SHIMI GO led into the straight just ahead of CHEVAL BLANC and SHIMI GO with the rest of the field bunched up behind them.

CHINESE TEA, SHIMI GO and KONG FU PANDA were almost in a line battling for the lead at the 200m. CHEVAL BLANC was just a length away.

KONG FU PANDA beat off CHINESE TEA and SHIMI GO at the 100m. By now CHEVAL BLANC was just on his outside, ready to pounce.

CHEVAL BLANC opened up nicely in the closing stages and got up in the last couple of strides to beat KONG FU PANDA by a head. SHIMI GO won the battle for third placing ahead of CHINESE TEA.

“Big thrill to come back from winning the Penang Gold Cup (to win the Tunku Gold Cup),” said trainer Frank Maynard.

“He (CHEVAL BLANC) is a horse who never gives up and I am very proud of him.

“I like winning Group 1s. He is a horse with issues and we seem to have gotten on top of them thanks to my equissage machine.”

CHEVAL BLANC is Maynard’s first win in the Tunku Gold Cup.

“CHEVAL BLANC has the speed to get into a handy position which he did in the race,” said jockey Tham Kin Chong who has ridden him in all his five runs in Malaysia thus far.

“But I needed him to settle down and just bowl along. It took a while for him to pick up in the straight. He’s got a big heart and he was determined to get to the leaders.” 

CHEVAL BLANC had shown potential as a youngster in Ireland with a win at two and finishing on board seven times in eight starts, including four stakes races. He won twice in Class 4 in 19 starts at Kranji.

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