KUALA LUMPUR: November 27, 2024

The arrival of horses from Macau has added a new dimension to racing in Malaysia with five of them – Mega Gems, Gold Samurai, Silver Samurai, Wealthyness and Revue – already making it to the winner’s enclosure.

The biggest success of them all thus far came from Mega Gems who captured the Coronation Cup (1600m) early this month in Ipoh in his third start in the country.

Winner of the Macau Derby (1800m) last year, the son of Zoustar has now set his sight on the RM250,000 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor at Sungai Besi this Sunday.

And Mega Gems will be joined in the set-weight 2000m event by another Macau import Family Delight trained by former Macau based trainer Ricky Choi who has saddled a winner in each of the last two meetings at Sungai Besi.

Placed in three of six runs in New Zealand, the son of Dundeel won five races at 1500m and 1800m over three seasons in Macau under Choi.

Family Delight will be making his local debut on Sunday. A big ask maybe but Choi has already produced two first-up winners in Wealthyness and Revue. Jackson Low will take the ride on Family Delight.

Racegoers will be disappointed to learn that the recent Singapore Gold Cup winner Smart Star will not be taking part as earlier planned by his trainer David Kok.

“I had planned the Piala Emas on Dec 1 for him, but he had a sore hoof,” said Kok earlier.

Instead, Dream Alliance, who ran a terrific fourth in the Singapore Gold Cup, will take the line-up as the highest rated ‘new entry’ at 92 points. He will be ridden by this season’s leading jockey Ruzaini Supien in his Malaysian debut.

The Australian gelding by Into Mischief won five races up to Class 2 for trainer Tim Fitzsimmons and was also second to Lim’s Kosciuszko in the Kranji Mile last May 18. He is now trained by Wayne Lim who appears to hold a strong hand in the Piala Emas with three runners: Mega Gems, Dream Alliance and Golden Pegasus.

Golden Pegasus, with already six wins to his name, swept the two four-year-old series races earlier in the year, before going down to Antipodean after a thrilling duel in the Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) last Sep 9.

The Star Turn gelding has since finished second to Berry Bliss in a 1700m race and came home fourth behind Antipodean in the Sports Toto Supreme Challenge Cup (1400m) in his last appearance. Interestingly, Lim Aun Kean, who won on Mega Gems in the Coronation Cup, will ride Golden Pegasus instead in the Piala Emas.

Antipodean is skipping the Piala Emas as his connections think the distance might be beyond him, at least at this time.

The 2024 Piala Emas field will be headed by Berry Bliss, rated 104, who will have to give weight all round.

The Charm Spirit gelding has already won 12 races up to 1775m in three seasons in Malaysia, usually after he set the pace or running close to the lead.

But in a reversal of racing tactics, Berry Bliss trialled in last place early, then came storming home to win over 1400m two weeks ago. First-season trainer Joseph Leck is likely to adopt the same tactic on him again but there will be a switch of rider (from apprentice Bahauddin Sharudin in his last start) to Clyde Leck who has tasted success on the gelding numerous times.

Without Antipodean and Pasir Pinji (last year’s Selangor Gold Cup winner who went on to finish fifth in the Piala Emas), leading trainer Simon Dunderdale is left with a sole representative in Good Fight.

The son of Super One won the Coronation Cup (1600m) last year and has been knocking on the door all season for another big win, registering a third in the Selangor Gold Cup (behind Antipodean) and second (to Mega Gems) in the Coronation Cup.

Cheng Han Yong, bidding for another trophy after saddling Xena to win the Penang Anniversary Cup earlier this month, will have two in-form runners in Shang Chi and Lucky Magic, to be ridden by Andre Luis Da Silva and Riduan Shafiq respectively.

Shang Chi, who notched a hattrick last year shortly after coming over from Singapore, has found his mojo again with two wins in his last three starts, taking home the Singapore Pools Trophy (1300m) in Ipoh early this month when piloted by Da Silva.

Lucky Magic has done really well since making his racing debut five months ago. After two unplaced efforts, the Mendelssohn gelding has gone to notch three wins up to 1700m and two second-placings in as many starts, beaten 3/4-length by Wiseman in the Penang Mile last time out.

Cheng paid NZ$75,000 for him at the Ready To Run sale in 2022 and at four, he will be the youngest runner in the Piala Emas.

Talking about age, Cheval Blanc defied his (then eight years old) when he won the Penang Gold Cup (2000m) last December and surprised many when he out-sprinted the speedsters to bag the Tunku Gold Cup (1200m) last April. But he is showing nowhere near that sort of form although he was a last-start fourth to Mega Gems in the Coronation Cup.

Then again, Cheval Blanc, the third highest rated runner (86) in the Piala Emas, is the only horse who has won over 2000m, which a true test of stamina.

A total of 15 horses have been declared for the Piala Emas Sultan Selangor on Sunday which will round up the big races at the Selangor Turf Club for this year.

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