Mar 19, 2025

Malaysian trainer Cheng’s three-time winner working well ahead of his March 23 race

Any trainer or owner would love to have a horse with a good record of three wins and one second from 12 starts.

That is exactly what Heart Of Fire has delivered in the course of his stay at Winson Cheng Han Yong’s yard.

The son of All Too Hard five-year-old’s last win in a Class 3 race on Jan 4 was a gem.

Ridden by Andre da Silva over the short and sharp 1,020m, he took the lead at the 800m mark and jealously guarded it.

The others attempted to eat into his advantage. But the more they tried, the further he pulled away from them.

Pardon the pun, but it must have “broken their hearts”.

Heart Of Fire eventually put 4¾ lengths between himself and the runner-up, Pacific Flash.

That was a commanding win, the type which usually comes from a horse with sheer grit.

Racegoers on both sides of the Causeway remembered that victory and they mobbed the windows and backed him down to $15 on the win at his last start.

That was a 1,200m race in Ipoh on Feb 22, but Heart Of Fire burned a hole in their pockets instead.

He ran last in that Enrich Stakes A race taken out by Rocket Boy.

Subsequently, the post-race veterinary examination ordered by the racing stewards revealed that Heart Of Fire suffered an attack of heat stress, which probably explained his dismal run.

Well, we also know that the problem is a thing of the past.

His young Malaysian trainer sent him out for a spin on the training track on the morning of March 18. On a track rated as good, Heart Of Fire turned in a faultless gallop, running the 600m in a fine time of 38.7sec.

The Australian-bred will see action in the main race on March 23, which is the Class 3 sprint over 1,020m.

The win will not be handed to Heart Of Fire on a silver platter, though. The Ten Brothers Stable-owned galloper faces some talented runners and, with the top impost of 59kg, he will be giving weight to 12 other runners.

But he has, in the past, stared adversity in the face and delivered. He could do it again.

Cheng, who came away from the last Kuala Lumpur meeting on March 16 with nothing to show, has entered a big team of 15 for the races coming up on March 23.

Heart Of Fire was not the only one from the barn to burn up the training track. Golden Cup and Royal Flush also sent out positive messages to their connections.

In separate gallops, Golden Cup stopped the clocks at 39.4sec while Royal Flush showed a winning hand, running the 600m in a brisk 37.3sec.

A long-time resident at Cheng’s establishment, Royal Flush’s last win was way back on Aug 24, 2024. But she has been running some decent races recently and looks to be finding her way back into the winner’s circle.

The Wandjina seven-year-old mare carried moderate support at her last start on Feb 9 but could not land a punch, eventually finishing five lengths behind Lim’s Sinai in seventh.

We know she is better than that. With the benefit of that gallop on March 18, she should have a part to play in the finish at the upcoming Class 5A contest over the 1,300m.

Stablemate Golden Cup could be right by her side and fighting out the finish.

The six-year-old New Zealand-bred crashed out at his last start on March 9, finishing down the course over the 1,020m.

But there were valid excuses. Da Silva, his jockey on the day, reported after the race that he was tightened for galloping room at the 900m.

The Turn Me Loose gelding will appreciate the longer 1,300m trip he has to cover on March 23.

Meanwhile, trainer Simon Dunderdale will fancy his chances of landing the money with three runners in an exciting Open Novice race, which is also run over the 1,300m.

Of his trio, Infinity Victory caught the eye with a dashing gallop at dawn.

The son of Alpine Eagle clocked 39.2sec for the 600m, and going on his current form, he is as fit as a fiddle.

Owned by the Infinity Stable, Infinity Victory has raced just twice in Malaysia, finishing second on debut.

That run on Feb 16 was a fine effort. In that Open Novice race (1,400m), he attempted to lead all the way but was caught in the shades of the winning post by Rocky Pegasus.

Forget his last start on March 9. He was sent off as the top pick, but was – in a word – “flat”.

Give him another chance. If Dunderdale has put right what was wrong that day, Infinity Victory should be ultra competitive.

Source : Brian Miller