Maynard's pair turning up the heat in Selangor

New Paper

27-05-2025

Trainer Frank Maynard drew a blank at the just-concluded Selangor meeting on May 25, albeit with only two runners.
But the 2006 Malaysian champion trainer will come into the races on June 1 with a solid team of 12, including two Emergency Acceptors.
Among the dozen of them are a couple who could make it a good day for him. From their work on the morning of May 27, Kitsune and Tommy Gun could be Maynard's standard bearers in the 12-race meeting at Sungai Besi.
Kitsune turned on the style to run the 600m in a brisk 37.2sec while Tommy Gun stopped the clocks at 39.2sec for his gallop over the same distance.
A Japanese-bred four-year-old, Kitsune is winless after four outings in Kuala Lumpur. But he did turn in his best showing at his last start, when running a close-up fourth to Limitless Stout in a Class 5A race over the 1,300m on May 17.
That day, when neglected in the betting and sent off as a prohibitive outsider, the son of Henry Barows came from last to charge home late under Lim Shung Uai.
The stewards' report also stated that he was "unable to secure clear running until the concluding stages" of the race.
In Japanese mythology, Kitsune refers to a creature with supernatural abilities, but this Kitsune, now residing at his Australian handler's yard, is far from supernatural - or super at anything.
Yet, as a racehorse, he seems to be coming along nicely and, come June 1, the track and the 1,400m trip in the Class 5A contest should suit.
As for Tommy Gun, his work on the training track is indicative of his chances in that Class 4B sprint over the 1,020m.
Like his stablemate, Kitsune, he, too, put up a good showing in his last start.
In that Class 4B event (1,200m) on May 4, the son of Flying Artie was coming home at full steam under jockey Nuqman Rozi.
That was despite losing the use of his stirrup shortly after the start. Tommy Gun sprinted home under Nuqman's strong urgings but left his run too late to finish third, just two lengths behind the Simon Dunderdale-trained Imperial Genie.
To date, Tommy Gun has had 10 starts in Malaysia and Singapore for only one win - at his debut at Kranji on May 4, 2024 when trained by another Australian handler, Tim Fitzsimmons.
The Australian-bred was ridden by Ruan Maia and disposed of the Restricted Maiden race (1,200m) in style, beating Lucky Goal by two lengths.
With five starts in Kuala Lumpur while under the tutelage of Maynard, the four-year-old galloper looks due for a win soon.
Another one who richly deserves a winning break is Spicy Babe.
Previously with Australian trainer Daniel Meagher when racing under the name Lim's Jinba in Singapore, she has had three starts for Kuala Lumpur-based trainer Lawson Moy and she seems to be on the right path.
The Jukebox mare drew attention to her chances when she turned in a good gallop, running the 600m in 37sec on the morning of May 27.
Still a four-year-old, she pulled off a second-placed finish in an Open Maiden race (1,200m) on Feb 9. Racegoers expected her to build on that but she only managed fifth in both starts after that.
She deserves better and could be one to follow in the Max 2 race (1,300m) on June 1.
Malaysian trainer Lim Shung You pulled off a double with Paletas and Joyee Go at Sungai Besi on May 25. The good work could continue for Lim, who has entered a tight team of six for the meeting on June 1.
Most of his runners were out on the training track and Arigato stood out from the pack.
The Charm Spirit six-year-old has picked up one win and one fourth from six starts, and although his last four runs would have done little to inspire confidence, he is coming along nicely.
Toss him into the mix. He clocked 38.4sec for the 600m on the training track and, should he bring it to the races, he could be the surprise package in the Metro A sprint over the 1,020m.
Finally, from the training track, there was Bold Runner.
The Ananthen Kuppan-trained galloper impressed with a strong canter.
At his last start in the Class 4A event (1,200m) on May 18, he was involved in a tight finish with Yes Man and Wins One. In the end, the photo finish showed that Yes Man won by a short head from Wins One, while Bold Runner was edged out into third by another head.
The son of Contributer will line up with 13 other three-year-old peers in the highlight race, the 3-Year-Old Sprint Championship (1,200m) on June 1, and he could be right in the mix should he bring that same dogged spirit along.
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