Latest news with #MetroA
New Paper
03-08-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Platinum Emperor has Group 1 Gold Cup in his sights
KUALA LUMPUR - Platinum Emperor unleashed a powerful turn of foot to again beat Cavalry in the RM62,000 (S$18,700) Supreme A race (1,600m) at Sungai Besi on Aug 3, after they finished first and second respectively in the Mitavite Asia Cup (1,400m) three weeks ago on July 12. Platinum Emperor was hard-pressed before winning by half a length in that Metro A race last time, but the Sweynesse six-year-old had it much easier this time, coasting home by 2½ lengths to bring his record to three wins from four starts in Malaysia. Formerly from Macau, the Ricky Choi-trained galloper's only other run was in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) on March 16, when he finished third to Noah Khan. The latter - sent out at big odds of $89 in his first-up run after two months - motored home under Aify Yahaya to take out the other Supreme A race (1,200m) for trainer Siva Kumar two races earlier. Marc Lerner, who won on Platinum Emperor last time, again showed his good judgment on the New Zealand-bred. Platinum Emperor ($14) jumped well from barrier 6 and was up on the pace early, but he was caught wide. Lerner elected to ease his mount back and settled on the rails in seventh, albeit only five lengths behind pacemaker Arigato (Mohd Zaki) at the 800m mark. By the 600m, Platinum Emperor was angled out wide and was looking for a run between runners at the top of the straight. Cavalry (Andre da Silva) was the first to challenge Arigato and hit the front at the 300m, but Platinum Emperor gave chase at the 200m, before grabbing the lead at the 100m and kicking clear. Choi revealed he had the Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) on Sept 14 in mind for Platinum Emperor even before his gallant win. "His (Platinum Emperor) fitness last time was not ideal," he said. "Today's run was in preparation for the Selangor Gold Cup coming up next month. I am targeting him for that." The Macau trainer combined with Lerner again for a double when Hennu Stall ($33) broke through at his eighth start in Malaysia in the RM38,000 Class 5A contest (2,000m). The Alpine Eagle six-year-old raced for just one season in Macau, winning once over 1,500m, and was placed five times in nine starts. "The drop in class was the factor in his favour today, but he's an out-and-out stayer who needed the time to settle down here," said Choi. New trainer Hamsha Aloysius got off the mark in Malaysia on Aug 2, pulling off a double with Montana Flash and Make You Happy. Despite being caught wide all the way, Montana Flash produced just enough in the home straight to win a RM45,000 Class 4B (1,400m) race to hand Aloysius his first winner. Previously trained by Aloysius' ex-boss Donna Logan in Singapore, the Star Turn seven-year-old moved to Kuala Lumpur trainer Sivan Veerapen's yard in early 2024. He won three races with Sivan when Aloysius was his assistant trainer, before coming under Aloysius' banner after he got his trainer's licence on June 17. In two starts for the Singaporean handler, Montana Flash finished in top three, taking third in a Class 4B event (1,400m) on July 6, before running second in a similar race at his last start on July 27. "My horses have been running well without winning. It was only a matter of time before I clocked in my first winner," said Aloysius, who kick-started his career in racing as a syce with the late legendary trainer Laurie Laxon in June 2014. "I want to thank the Selangor Turf Club for allowing me to train here and the owners for standing by me since day one." Winning jockey Oscar Chavez, who returned to ride in Malaysia on May 17, was pleased with his fourth winner for the season. "It's nice to have a winner," said the Panamanian-born jockey. "The horse travelled well and we went around the corner nicely. The ground on the outside was a little bit better, so I didn't mind having to travel wide." Legacy Fortune (da Silva) led the field on settling down. At the top of the straight, the Ananthen Kuppan-trained gelding kicked away to a three-length lead. Montana Flash went after the leader approaching the 200m, before hitting the front 100m out. The well-backed Commander (Clyde Leck) flashed home in the closing stages, but Montana Flash ($32) held on to win by ¾ length. The day went even better for Aloysius and Chavez when they doubled the score three races later with Make You Happy, who broke the duck at his 17th start in the RM38,000 Open Maiden event (1,600m). Chavez had the Zoustar gelding in a handy position early. When the two leaders, Talkintalkin Power (Zaki) and Banker's Pair Nine (Yusoff Fadzli) broke away, Chavez stuck to his guns and had Make You Happy where he wanted. Banker's Pair Nine raced past a tiring Talkintalkin Power at the 400m, but soon after, Make You Happy went after him. Make You Happy ($24) hit the front at the 200m, before staving off a determined challenge by Imperial Ripple (Iskandar Rosman) in the closing stages to win by a head. SELANGOR TURF CLUB/TURFONLINE
New Paper
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Keep highly rated trio in Metro A on the radar
It could pay to put your attention on three highly rated gallopers, Circuit Mission, Platinum Emperor and Cheval Blanc, at the Sungai Besi meeting on July 12. They are "ranked" the top three - in order of their ratings - in the handicaps of the main race coming up at the Selangor Turf Club. Three days from now, we could see them fighting out the finish in that Metro A sprint (1,400m). Circuit Mission is now sitting on 99 points. Platinum Emperor is at 98 while Cheval Blanc is - on 93 rating points - not too far behind. But being rated in the 90s is not the only thing they have in common. On the morning of July 8, all three were out on the training track and they have impressed all who were taking in the action. Taking it from the top, we have Circuit Mission running the 600m in a fluent 38.9sec. Platinum Emperor went a tick faster, clocking 38.3sec while Cheval Blanc stopped the clock at 38.7sec. Trained by Frank Maynard, Circuit Mission used to be with Lee Freedman, Cliff Brown and then James Peters at Kranji. Between Singapore and Malaysia, he has won eight races - on the Kranji, Penang and Kuala Lumpur tracks. Even before the son of High Chaparral kick-started his career in Asia, he won twice in the UK when trained by Hugo Palmer. Now, at 10, Circuit Mission showed he can still bring theatre to the game and is not about ready to be put out to pasture. The Irish-bred's last victory might have come almost a year ago in the Group 1 Penang Sprint Trophy (1,400m) on July 28, 2024, and his subsequent three runs were nothing to shout about, but he showed improvement at his last start. Ridden by Akmazani Mazuki in the Supreme A event (1,200m) on June 29, Circuit Mission would not have threatened the top three in any way, but he still made ground in the final 100m to finish fifth. Being the bread-and-butter galloper that he is, he will give his best on July 12. And, on the strength of his most recent training gallop, he could puncture a few egos. As for Platinum Emperor, he comes into the picture after a break of more than 100 days and had an easy spin under jockey Marc Lerner in a barrier trial on June 17. The Ricky Choi-trained galloper was second-up at his last run in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) on March 16. That day, under Nuqman Rozi, the Sweynesse five-year-old turned in a decent show, running third behind winner Noah Khan and runner-up, Antipodean. That came a month after Platinum Emperor had smacked his rivals in the Wilayah Silver Bowl Trophy (1,200m) on Feb 2 and won at his first race in Malaysia. Choi has been patient with the eight-time winner from Macau, who is likely to garner interest third-up. Then, from the training track, there was Cheval Blanc. The second of Maynard's pair entered for the sprint on July 12, Cheval Blanc is - like Circuit Mission - a 10-year-old Irish-bred. The son of Red Jazz has faced the starter five times this season. The last occasion was on June 29 and, in a muddling sort of race, Cheval Blanc took fourth. After the run in the Supreme A contest (1,200m), jockey Wong Kam Chong explained to the stewards that he was inconvenienced when his reins were briefly entangled over the neck of Cheval Blanc. There were no such problems during his romp under the morning sun and Maynard would have been pleased with the work put in by his old stager. Outside of that Metro A race, there was good work from Valerie Pegasus. Down to contest the Class 5A event over the short and sharp 1,020m, the five-year-old galloper tossed in a winning workout when running the 600m in 40sec. It was a solid show and very worthy of a line or two in that black book of "horses to follow". Prepared by Nick Selvan, whose last winner was Latin Legend in the Supreme B (1,600m) race on July 6, Valerie Pegasus has been winless in his next five starts after March 1, when he led from barrier to box in the Class 5A race (1,150m) at Sungai Besi. At his last start on June 15, Valerie Pegasus was outpaced in a Class 5A race (1,275m) before finishing seventh to Lightning Gal. The drop in distance could be what he is looking for and, on the back of that honest workout, his Malaysian handler could be looking at a good showing from this son of Shamexpress. brian@
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).
