Starboy set to shine brightly

New Paper

22-04-2025

It was at the just-concluded Selangor meeting on April 20 that trainer Johnny Lim Boon Thong closed the programme on a winning note, saddling Loving Babe to take out the Class 5A sprint over the 1,150m.
The two-time Malaysian champion trainer (2008 and 2009) has entered a team of just three for the action coming up on April 27, but the celebrations could continue if Starboy prevails in the Class 5A event over the 1,300m.
Lim, who also finished with two seconds in Golden Seventy Two and Selangor Star at the last meeting, might just be able to score again.
On a training track rated "yielding" on April 22, Starboy was one of the bright sparks when he reeled off his 600m training gallop in 38.3sec.
A two-time winner - both times when under the care of Jason Ong at Kranji - Starboy has faced the starter 23 times and looks ready to thank his new master with an overdue win.
To date, his five trials in Kuala Lumpur have been good. The Shooting To Win four-year-old won once and has been placed second on three occasions.
And on the strength of this latest rousing morning gallop, his first win in Malaysia could come sooner than later.
Watch out for Oriental Halflamma.
A five-year-old by former Singapore speedster Super One, he was not out to smash any speed records but did toss in a good piece of work when running the 600m in a breezy 40sec.
Oriental Halflamma was one of a shipment of quality thoroughbreds sent over from Macau by trainer Ricky Choi Chun Wai.
The Hong Kong-born Choi has been patient with the five-time winner from Macau, who has yet to win in Malaysia in six starts. But the good-looking chestnut has only been off the board on one occasion.
That was on Jan 31, when he finished ninth in that Class 4A race (1,200m) won by Atlante Legend.
Partnered by Jackson Low, Oriental Halflamma was slow out of the gates and, to compound matters, he had to race wide for most of the trip.
His last run was in that Class 4B contest (1,020m) where he ran fourth behind Billy Elliot on Feb 23.
Come April 27, Choi - who has also entered Rhythm Of Zen in the races - could be quietly confident of Oriental Halflamma's chances.
Trainer Simon Dunderdale was not out of the picture during the morning romps on April 22.
Several runners from his team of eight at the upcoming races were put through their paces on the training track.
Te Akau Ben was the most impressive among them.
A familiar name to racegoers at Kranji where he won six races under the care of Donna Logan, Te Akau Ben has not lost his spark in Malaysia.
To recap, he did put together a grandstand win when beating Pacific Victory by seven lengths in a Metro A race (1,600m) on March 1.
That day, the seven-year-old son of Tavistock was like a bullet train gone berserk. He was unstoppable.
Te Akau Ben's last two races were big-time events.
He was sixth to Noah Khan in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) on March 16, before finishing seventh to Antipodean in a Supreme A race (1,400m) at his last start on April 5.
Dunderdale has picked a winnable Class 2 race (1,400m) for his charge on April 27. With that strong and stirring workout under his girth, he will be hoping Te Akau Ben leads the field home.
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