3 days ago
Work is all done, Starlight Glimmer is now ready to shine
With 12 races coming up on Aug 17, the majority of the runners should have completed their preparation and would need just light work to keep them on their toes.
Hence, the training track at Sungai Besi on the morning of Aug 13 did not resemble a speedway.
Indeed, cantering and some trotting seemed to be the order of the day.
However, there were exceptions and early morning risers at trackside were treated to some fast work by a handful of runners.
They were admittedly not lung-busting sprints down the 600m of the Selangor Turf Club's turf track.
But Starlight Glimmer, Prince Lonhro, Red Sky and Written Towin provided trackwatchers with plenty to toss about when having their morning coffee.
Of the quartet, Starlight Glimmer was the swiftest of the lot.
Down to contest the sixth race at Kuala Lumpur on Aug 17, he ran the short and sharp trip in 38sec.
From the stables of Siva Kumar, the Zacinto five-year-old gets into the action on the back of grand effort on Aug 2 when, as the third pick in that 1,020m contest, he was beaten into second spot by Smart One.
Had the places been switched, Starlight Glimmer would have notched up his fifth win.
Alas, it was not to be.
But there is still loads of racing left in those legs of his and Siva will be hoping all things fall into place at the assignment coming up.
Siva seems to have found a good race for his runner in the Class 4B (1,150m) slated as Race 6.
Track and trip should suit and, having drawn the inside barrier No. 2, Starlight Glimmer should be off and running - leaving the others to do the catching.
The next horse to catch the eye was Prince Lonhro who tossed in a 600m gallop in 38.2sec.
Set to take on Class 4 rivals in Race 7, he beat just one home in that last start on Aug 3.
On that day, when sent off as the third pick in that 12-horse affair, the Lonhro six-year-old was obliged to race wide throughout the race and, to compound matters, he was "inconvenienced" by another runner at the 950m mark.
It took the wind out of his sails and cost him any chance of finishing in the money. He deserves another chance.
We know Prince Lonhro is not without ability. After all, he has won twice for Nick Selvan - and it could have been a third on July 12.
However, it was not to be.
He was beaten into second spot by Super Posh.
Again, he did not have the smoothest of runs and just when he was fashioning a hit on the leader at the 300m mark, he was carried out and lost some ground.
So, keep the faith. Prince Lonhro can deliver.
As for Red Sky, he ran the 600m in an easy 40.8sec after a spot of cantering. The unraced gelding looks to be in a good place right now.
However, in that Restricted Maiden race (Race 4), he comes up against some really nippy newcomers who will be out there wanting to prove a thing or two.
One, in particular, stands out, Mega Skye.
He has so far been awesome at the trials - winning his last two hit-outs rather impressively.
However, Red Sky - who is trained by Ooi Chin Chin - will have first-hand knowledge of what and who he is up against.
He did stumble into Mega Skye at the trials on Aug 5, but did his best work late to finish a gallant second.
A three-year-old Australian-bred by Capitalist, Red Sky has, to date, had two trials but the job coming up on Aug 17 will be the acid test.
Ooi has entered a squad of just four runners for the meeting coming up and Red Sky could be the one to brighten his day.
Then, from the training track, we had Written Towin.
He ran the 600m in 41sec, as his last finishing touch to his next start in Race 2, a Class 5A over 1,275m.
The Written By five-year-old has scored only once in 20 starts, back on Oct 28, 2023 when under the tutorship of Shane Baertschiger at Kranji.
He had his first start for Selvan on Dec 28 and, since then, the best he could produce were two second-place finishes in 10 starts, all at Sungai Besi.
Come Aug 17, he will be having his third start in Class 5. Written Towin has kept slipping down the handicaps and that category may well be where he regains his will to win again.
brian@
