Candy Rain and Rocketship are all girl power
The quartet was left stranded when Candy Rain and Rocketship cleared away to make it an "all-girls" affair over the flying 1,000m.
In the end, Candy Rain, a daughter of Manhattan Rain, brushed aside the late challenge from Rocketship, a daughter of Into Mischief, to win by a short head.
There was a whiff of drama at the start when Summer Wind stole the attention from the ladies when he dislodged apprentice Akmazani Mazuki at barrier rise and continued on his way riderless.
As for the rest - Sabah Star, Pacific Armani and Limitless Warrior - it was a beating they would surely like to forget.
Then again, the way the trial transpired, they were never in the hunt.
Right from the get-go, Candy Rain and Rocketship had the stage all to themselves.
As seven-year-olds, both still showed that they possessed an excellent turn of hoof and they ran like they were off to the prom.
Candy Rain and Rocketship were at the trials by order of the racing stewards after returning lame in their last races, in which they both finished down the course.
Candy Rain ran eighth to Pacific Soldier on May 25 while Rocketship finished a dismal 10th to Paletas in another race on the same day. Thus, the mandatory test - which both passed with flying colours.
With the test done and dusted, the way is cleared for them to resume racing - which must be good news to trainers Frank Maynard (Candy Rain) and Nick Selvan (Rocketship).
Though both their runners are getting long in the tooth, they can still up the stakes when the situation calls for it.
Another conditioner who would have felt good on the morning of June 10 was Richard Lim, after Elite Titan won the third trial.
A four-year-old who has had three race starts, Elite Titan did not do it in the styIe of Candy Rain and Rocketship.
Instead, he was in "stalk and strike" mode, allowing Good Start, Lucky Warrior and Solid Eighty-Three to fight it out up front.
Racing in blinkers, Elite Titan decided to join the party at the furlong mark - making it a line of four heading for the finish. He then opened up in style to win by a healthy two lengths and in a time of 1min 1.17sec.
Solid Eighty-Three from Ananthen Kuppan's yard stayed on for second, with trainer Mahadi Taib's Good Start taking third.
A son of Merchant Navy, Elite Titan arrived at Lim's Kuala Lumpur yard on Dec 21 after having won a 1,200m race in Australia.
He has, to date, had three starts at Sungai Besi, giving a glimpse of what it is shaping up to be when he ran third to Our Secret Weapon on May 17.
He was sent off as the second pick when Lim backed him up in a 1,400m race on May 25, but he did not live up to their confidence. Despite a strong ride from Shafiq Rizuan, he managed to finish only fifth in that race won by Platinum Glory.
However, and from what he showed at the just-concluded trial, he is better than that and that elusive first Malaysian win could come sooner rather than later.
As for Solid Eighty-Three and Good Start - second and third in that trial - they will see action in Races 2 and 7 respectively on June 15. Accord them some respect.
brian@sph.com.sg
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