3 minute read
Pacific Diamond outshone some big names to cause a huge upset in the Stayers Stakes A event over 1797m on the No. 2 track at Sungai Besi here today, and denied TRUMPY a triumphant to racing after the latter won the Perak Derby last month.
TRUMPHY started favourite in the set-weight race with seven-time Singapore winner KING'S COMMAND and twice Cup-placed GOLDEN KING also heavily supported in the betting.
Also in the mix were Selangor Gold Cup winners PASIR PINJI (2023) and Black Thorn (2022).
But Pacific Diamond , who won twice in Class 4 earlier in the season after coming over from Singapore, upstaged them all.
Ridden by Nuqman Faris Rozi, the Kermadec gelding settled well of the lead early, as did TRUMPY.
There was not much pace in the race and the field bunched making the turn into the straight with just about five lengths covering the first and last of the 10 runners.
CAVALLA COURT, who led the field on settling down, was first into the straight but soon challenged by King's Command , who despite racing wide all the way, hit the front at the 200m.
But the challengers came storming home one by one on his outside thereafter. First, TRUMPHY ranged alongside the leader, then PACIFIC DIAMOND appeared with BLACK THORN in a flash.
PACIFIC DIAMOND went best amongst them in the closing stages to beat TRUMPHY by half a length with a similar margin to BLACK THORN in third spot. The winner paid RM105 for a win.
"This horse (PACIFIC DIAMOND) always surprised me," said Nuqman who also sprang a RM76 surprise on the gelding last February.
"No doubt it's a tough field. He sat off the pace and settled well. I took him out wide in the straight and he just took off. He's a fighter and always gives you extra."
PACIFIC DIAMOND, who cost A$105,000 as a yearling, won twice in 15 runs at Kranji, and now has three wins in 11 in Malaysia.
"He was unlucky when caught wide (from barrier 10) last start (finishing sixth) and had a decent gate today," said trainer Tiang Kim Choi.
"He picked up after his last run and was much fitter today. He is a game horse and always finds extra."
