Feb 13, 2025

Kong Fu Panda, Te Akau Ben, Platinum Universal in good nick

You have heard it said that “good things come to those who wait”.

Most times it does, though there is the odd time it does not.

The race card for the action coming up at the Selangor Turf Club on Feb 16 luckily adheres to the former category.

It is a 12-race programme and the 10th and 11th events look mighty interesting.

In the 10th, a top sprint over the 1,020m, the runners represent some of the best at Sungai Besi.

There is Pacific Vampire.

He has a rating of 89 – which is eight points higher than his stablemate Major King.

On paper, the Jason Ong pair look like the horses to beat.

But, narrowing down the Supreme B race to that duo would be a touch hasty.

There are others who look ready to challenge and three, in particular, stand out.

They are Kong Fu Panda, Te Akau Ben and Platinum Universal.

And, right now, they share a couple of things in common.

On the morning of Feb 13, all three were out on the training track for some serious cantering which would have served to keep them on their toes.

Then there was that other “thing” which they had in common.

The light work on Feb 13 came on top of good gallops earlier in the week.

Just to recap, it was on the morning of Feb 11 that all three were put through serious stuff on the training track.

Kong Fu Panda was hard held when running the 600m in 42sec.

Te Akau Ben did that same trip in 40sec while Platinum Universal was all speed when running out the sharp sprint in 38sec.

Yes, ahead of that RM53,000 (S$16,000) race, trainers Tiang Kim Choi (Kong Fu Panda), Simon Dunderdale (Te Akau Ben) and Ricky Choi (Platinum Universal) are not leaving anything to chance.

They seem to have their eyes locked on the prize and, why would they not when their racers appear to be at or near the top of the game.

Kong Fu Panda has not raced since July 28 when he took third in a 1,400m sprint.

But we know he races well when fresh – having done so when he came out of a 52-day break to win over the Ipoh 1,100m straight course on June 16. He also won the Chairman’s Trophy on March 17 after a five-week freshen-up.

Te Akau Ben finished a close fourth to King Arthur on Feb 2 when ridden by Blaike McDougall while Choi’s Platinum Universal was having his first Malaysian start when sixth to Iron Head – after being slow to begin – on Jan 26.

In Race 11, Infinity Glory can toss in a big run.

Like the trio in Race 10, the son of Overshare was also out on the training track on Feb 13 for a spot of cantering.

It was the finishing touch to a good gallop on the morning of Feb 11 when he ran the 600m in 41.2sec.

Another one from Dunderdale’s yard, the five-year-old is coming back to his best form which saw him string together a race-to-race double on Sept 22 and Oct 6.

Both were over the 1,200m, and both times, he led his rivals on a merry chase.

A sprinter who likes to use his natural early speed to go forward, he will be right at home over the short and sharp 1,020m distance that he has to cover on Feb 16.

Right now he looks like a good pick for those novelty bets.

Earlier in the programme, pay attention to Intrepid.

She too did some serious cantering over the back stretch and, if anything, she looks to be in a good place.

An eight-year-old mare by Blackfriars, she knows her way around a racetrack, having won 11 races.

The assignment coming up on Feb 16 will be her 70th race start.

At her 68th outing, she beat Pacific Padrino by a neck over the 1,500m. The shorter 1,400m coming up is a trip she is familiar with – so, keep her on your shortlist.

Source : Brian Miller