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New Paper
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Paper
Lucky Magic gains the verdict in Selangor Mile
Dual Group 1 winner Lucky Magic had to survive a protest before he was established as the winner in the RM1 million (S$302,000) Selangor Mile (1,600m) at Sungai Besi on July 20, but trainer Winson Cheng Han Yong was unperturbed. The Mendelssohn four-year-old - who won the Group 1 Penang Gold Cup (2,000m) in December 2024 and the Group 1 Perak Derby (2,000m) in March - was one of the favourites lining up in Malaysia's richest four-year-old race in history after he last took out the Special Rapid Stakes A race (1,300m) in easy fashion at Penang's farewell meeting on May 31. After breaking well from barrier 5, Lucky Magic (Shafiq Rizuan) settled in midfield early as the front runner Stop The Water (Laercio de Souza) spearheaded the field of 16, while Red Dragonfly (Khaw Choon Kit) and War Star (Akmazani Mazuki) followed in close attendance. As the field made their run around the bend, Shafiq was also seen making inroads on Lucky Magic. It was a well-timed run by the former two-time Singapore champion apprentice jockey as the pair found the front upon swinging for home, albeit six wide. Stop The Water was soon engulfed at the 300m with Platinum Glory (Troy See) and Eruption (Clint Johnston-Porter) hot on his heels, while Lucky Magic was also looming large under Shafiq's urging. By the 150m, Lucky Magic ($11) was pulling away from most, but not the Mahadi Taib-trained Good Star (Uzair Sharudin), who was making good ground on the outside. The son of Shalaa had initially tried to dive through between Lucky Magic and Eruption at the 300m, but the gap closed after Eruption hung out, so he had to be angled out to make the dash to the line. Good Star came up short by a neck in the end, while the 2024 Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) winner Antipodean (Bernardo Pinheiro) rushed home too late and had to settle for third, another 2½ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 34.4sec for the 1,600m on the long course. Good Star's connections raised an objection against the winner after the race, but stewards dismissed it after deliberation. Cheng, too, was of the opinion that Lucky Magic won the race fair and square. "I was not worried at all. We saw the video in the stewards' room and it was clear Eruption was the one who hung out," said the Penang-born conditioner. "We had a good draw, good ground and Shafiq knows the horse very well. He's a good horse and I was very confident before the race. "I left it to Shafiq how he wants to ride him, but I just told him 'the horse will bring you home'." Cheng has had plans to run the Happy Baby Stable-owned galloper overseas after his second Group 1 victory in the Perak Derby. With Lucky Magic's eighth and latest success in Malaysia, Cheng is now keen to take things to the next level in the Land of the Morning Calm. "I will call Fin Powrie (racing adviser and senior steward at Korea Racing Authority) tomorrow and see if he (Lucky Magic) has a chance to run in Korea, maybe in the Korea Sprint," said Cheng. "I believe he can run very well, even if it's the sand track." Open to both South Korea-based and overseas runners, the international Group 3 Korea Sprint (1,200m) will be held at Seoul racecourse on Sept 7, together with the international Group 3 Korea Cup (1,800m) at the same meeting. Shafiq, who bagged a treble with Master Player ($288) and Cheerful Baby ($69) for trainer Jerome Tan earlier, also gave the thumbs-up after Lucky Magic's win. "He's good. I was a bit worried (about the protest) but he's very strong to the line," he said. Cheng's Graphjet Express surprised at big odds of $127 to score in the other open contest for four-year-olds, the RM100,000 A Plus Selangor Silver (1,300m). Under a heady ride from Andre da Silva, the son of Belardo overcame the widest barrier 13 and flew home from near last to come out tops, finishing ¾ length ahead of the Simon Dunderdale-trained Thunderous (Ryan Curatolo). Big Union (Pinheiro) ran third. The winning time was 1:16.06 for the 1,300m on the long course. Cheng revealed Graphjet Express was nominated for the Selangor Mile, but he thought the 1,300m trip in the second feature suited the New Zealand-bred better. "I actually entered him for the Selangor Mile, but to me, the 1,600m might be too long, so I discussed with the owner and we decided to run him in the 1,300m race instead," he said. "I quite like the horse, but draw 13 is not good, so I wasn't confident of his chances. "But Andre rode him very well. To me, he's the best jockey here. "He (Graphjet Express) is a good horse owned by Selangor Turf Club's chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Richard Cham. A big thank you to him. "I also want to thank all the owners for supporting me, my team for a great job, and the racing fans who messaged me today." sharonzhang@
New Paper
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Lucky Magic ready to spellbind again
Down to contest the rich Selangor Mile, Lucky Magic was put through his paces at the July 8 trials. Trainer Winson Cheng Han Yong's dual Group 1 winner showed he clearly had the credentials to flex his muscles in a big race. Ridden by Shafiq Rizuan, the son of Mendelssohn jumped on terms and settled rather comfortably into fourth spot despite having to clear a disadvantaged outside chute. Up in front and on a track rated good, Mega Blaze, Zero Five Six and Lim's Craft fought for the lead. Rounding the turn which brought the field to the top of the home stretch and Shafiq still had Lucky Magic on a tight rein. But, with slightly more than a furlong to travel, the complexion of the trial changed completely. Shafiq clicked his mount into action and, like a bullet from a shotgun, Lucky Magic was off and gone. He went through the front runners like a hot knife through butter and at the finish, he had put three parts of a length between himself and the chasing pack, led by Lim's Craft and Zero Five Six. But it was all about Lucky Magic, who clocked an impressive 59.64sec for the 1,000m. Undoubtedly one of the stars currently residing at Sungai Besi, he has to-date won seven races going back to June 2, 2024, highlighted by the Group 1 Penang Gold Cup (2,000m) in December and Group 1 Perak Derby (2,000m) in March. Last time at Penang's farewell meeting on May 31, the four-year-old carried stable confidence and duly obliged when coming off third spot at the 800m mark to win a Special Rapid Stakes A race over 1,300m, which, slated as Race 7 of the seven-race programme, was the last race ever staged in Penang. The proven middle-distance performer should be even better when tackling the 1,600m on July 20. Another notable trend of his is to string together his victories. After racking up a race-to-race double on Oct 6 and 27, he then weaved a treble on Dec 29, Jan 31 and March 2, bookending the haul with his two Group 1 successes. The inaugural Selangor Mile - to be Malaysia's richest four-year-old in history at a purse of RM1 million (S$301,000) - on July 20 is now next in Lucky Magic's crosshairs. Hats off to runner-up Lim's Craft, who has been a luckless customer at his last six outings. He took fourth on March 23 and April 12. Following a sixth to Platinum Glory on May 25, he ran third at his last two starts on June 7. A veteran of 10 wins from 75 starts, the Smart Missile nine-year-old can still raise a gallop, and could surprise at his next start. Another one from the trials who bears watching is Witnessimpact, who alongside former stablemate Antipodean, took Malaysia by storm for trainer Simon Dunderdale at the end of last year. A winner of four-from-four at his initial Malaysian campaign, the Victorian import has failed to recapture the same shine in 2025, but his win in the third hit-out of the morning - the first of two on sand - was encouraging. Thriving on the alternative surface, he made all for jockey Uzair Sharudin to win by six lengths. His time of 1min 0.24sec for that run on the sand was extremely commendable as Kim Empire, who won the next trial on the sand, clocked 1:02.18 when beating Elite Boy by a head. The Star Witness five-year-old has just moved to Ooi Chin Chin's barn following a string of disappointing runs. He did open his 2025 campaign - all in Kuala Lumpur - in style, leading all the way in a Supreme A (1,200m) at Sungai Besi on Jan 12. But after he ran second to Noah Khan in a 1,200m sprint on Feb 23, his form took a dive and the best he could manage for his next four starts was a fifth placing in a Class 2 (1,020m) race on June 15. Five wins from 12 starts is no small matter. So keep Witnessimpact on your radar, he could get his groove back. brian@
