KUALA LUMPUR: October 13, 2024

Malaysia is witnessing a rising star.

WITNESSIMPACT ( 5 b.a.g Star Witness – What An Impact by More Than Ready), a country galloper who was placed four times in nine starts at three and four without winning Down Under, is now unbeaten in four starts after cruising to a one-and-a-half-length win in the Power Toto 6/55 Stakes, a Supreme B event over 1100m, at Sungai Besi today.

The Star Witness gelding took the local scene by storm with a nine-length win in an Open Novice race two months ago, then went on to win again in Max Two and Class 3, leading from start to finish in all three races.

Up against a much stronger field today, WITNESSIMPACT came from off the pace but the results was still the same.

With Ridzuan Shafiq partnering him for the first time, WITNESSIMPACT did not have the best of jump and from his wide barrier (nine), took some time to come inside and settle just behind the leading bunch.

Out in front, BOY XANDER, the first emergency acceptor who gained a run, set a cracking pace with PACIFIC RIVER keeping pace just on his outside. They led by three lengths from TITAN PEGASUS with a similar distance to WITNESSIMPACT at the 800m.

BOY XANDER and PACIFIC RIVER led into the straight and at the 400m, WITNESSIMPACT had closed in rapidly to be just one and a half lengths away.

WITNESSIMPACT ranged alongside them without much effort at the 200m, then cruised away in the run home to win as he liked.

BOY XANDER held on for second while MILITARY FLAG came from a way back in the early running to flash home third.

“The instructions were to lead today but the pace was too fast so for the first time he had to settle and Shafiq rode him very well,” said Simon Dunderdale. “He was too good for them in the end.”

“Halfway in the race, I was a little worried as he was bit too far from the leaders. But then Shafiq balanced him up nicely.

“We didn’t think he would be able to settle. We always thought he is a front-runner but he settled today which is good news. That offers more options for us in the future.”

“I got front cover today and in the straight he just flew,” said Shafiq. “The instrctions were to lead but I found the pace too fast and decided to settle back and wait until the straight.”

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