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New Paper
22-04-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Starboy set to shine brightly
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. brian@
Local Italy
08-03-2025
- Local Italy
Inside Italy: The rise of vintage tourist trains and will Rome's transport ever improve?
Inside Italy is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip from Italy that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Public transport in Rome is often the target of criticism, with both locals and tourists complaining about delays, overcrowding and overall unreliability. The problem is anything but new. In 2019, research by travel planner app Moovit found that public transport passengers in the city waited an average of 20 minutes for a bus, metro, tram or train to turn up. This made the Roman transport network the slowest of any European capital surveyed, and placed it well behind other major Italian cities, including Venice (10 minutes), Milan (11 minutes), Genoa (12 minutes) and Florence (14 minutes). The capital's metro system has also long been ranked among the smallest in Europe, as it operates only three lines (Metro A, B and C), with a total extension of around 60 kilometres (just over 37 miles). For context, Spain's capital, Madrid, counts 12 lines, stretching for a total of 293 kilometres. Finally, Rome's public transport has made international headlines on multiple occasions in recent years after several buses caught fire due to poor maintenance or mechanical failure. Luckily, the phenomenon, dubbed by locals 'flambus', has not resulted in any serious injuries or casualties so far. Safety concerns, delays and inefficiency have all led to transport operator Atac facing harsh criticism over the past few years. But the operator has come under additional pressure in recent weeks after it was hit by a formal investigation over subpar service by Italy's competition authority AGCM. AGCM said last week that the investigation was linked to allegations that Atac 'systematically failed to meet objectives' related to punctuality, safety measures and the functioning of elevators, escalators and moving walkways between 2021 and 2023. The authority added that the operator's alleged failure to comply with the quality standards set out in its contract with the city of Rome may amount to 'unfair commercial practices' if proven. Consumer group Codacons has expressed satisfaction over AGCM's decision to launch an investigation into Atac, saying that it validated 'the many complaints filed over the years [...] over poor public transport services in the capital". Codacons President Massimiliano Dona also demanded that Atac temporarily reduce fares 'as a form of compensation to consumers" pending the conclusion of the investigation. Though any fare reduction seems to be very unlikely at this point (especially as the outcome of the investigation is still months, if not years, away), I think that the recent investigation is an incredibly important signal for public transport passengers in Rome. Italy's competition authority, which is also tasked with protecting consumers' rights, seems to have (at last) chosen to act on passengers' complaints, putting the screws on an operator that's been falling short of standards for a very long time. Will Atac respond to the investigation by making serious adjustments to their business and ultimately improving services for customers? Only time will tell. What's certain at this point is that Rome deserves a public transport network and infrastructure that is worthy of its beauty. Why are Italy's treni storici so popular? Though some passengers may have not-too-distant memories of run-down trains trundling through the Italian countryside, national rail services have improved significantly in the past two decades and journeys are becoming faster and more comfortable. But rail travel is not just an increasingly popular alternative to air travel for long-distance journeys; it's also currently playing a far bigger role in Italy's tourism industry than it ever did before. In 2023, Italian state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) launched a number of new tourist-focused services known as Treni Turistici Italiani under plans to encourage people to travel beyond Italy's major cities and best-known destinations and support local economies in lesser-visited areas. As part of the initiative, Ferrovie dello Stato also started to bring old trains dating as far back as the 1930s out of retirement, deploying them on designated scenic routes that offer travellers unique views of the Italian paesaggio. What started out as a fairly limited venture offering only a handful of train journeys across the country now counts dozens of routes weaving their way through some of the most magnificent parts of the peninsula. Among the most popular services are Abruzzo's Ferrovia dei Parchi, which takes passengers from Sulmona to Roccaraso and Castel Di Sangro on 1930s Centoporte carriages, and the Treno Natura, which takes travellers from Siena to small towns in Tuscany's countryside, including San Giovanni D'Asso, Castiglione d'Orcia and Asciano. Other sought-after services include the Sebino express, which connects Milan and Brescia with a number of small towns in rural Lombardy, and the Reggia Express, which runs between Naples and Caserta. But what's behind the popularity of these treni storici ('historical trains')? The aura of nostalgia and romanticism associated with travelling aboard vintage trains with beautifully restored carriages, wooden interiors and classic designs cannot be overstated. And the breathtaking landscapes some of these services glide through are an irresistible attraction for hundreds of travellers. But it should also be noted travel on treni storici is heavily subsidised by local and regional governments. This means that round-trip tickets are often only slightly more expensive than tickets for 'ordinary' regional train journeys operated by Trenitalia. For instance, a one-way ticket on the Reggia Express only costs €4.90 for adults (and €2.45 for children aged 4 to 11).
