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Battle of jockeys and horses in Tunku Gold Cup
The return of Bernardo Pinheiro and Oscar Chavez to action in the country and the introduction of Ruan Maia to Malaysian racegoers certainly make the Equine Sanctuary Tunku Gold Cup a race to watch at Sungai Besi this Sunday.
Pinheiro took Malaysian racing by storm in 2019 when he won 33 races, including the Selangor Gold Cup on TRUSON, within a few short months at a phenomenal strike rate. He later went on to ride in Singapore and the Middle East.
Pinheiro won the Selangor Gold Cup again on PASIR PINJI in one of his cross-border raids last year and will ride the top weight AWESOME STORM in the 1200m sprint.
Pinheiro rode the Australian gelding in the Tunku Gold Cup last year and was caught near the line by outsider SAN ANDREAS. No doubt Pinheiro will aim to make amends on AWESOME STORM who will carry 60kg, half a kilo more than he did last year.
AWESOME STORM won the 2022 edition of the Tunku Gold Cup by an amazing eight and a half lengths and has won 11 of 23 starts since coming to Malaysia. He returned to his best form with an easy win over 1400m two weeks ago and will be the one to beat again.
Chavez, the Panama kid who first made his name for himself in the MRA circuit in the 1980's, is now a veteran jockey who has plied his trade in various parts in the region and has just finished his assignment in the Middle East.
He will ride the talented but lightly-raced THE MAREEBA MANGO who has just 12 starts since 2020. The son of Snitzel had a win and a second in two starts in 2020 in Singapore, then spent a year and a half on the sidelines before reappearing in Malaysia where he has won five times in 10 runs.
The seven-year-old is in great form, with two wins and a third in as many starts thus far this season, finishing behind another Cup contender CHINESE TEA last month.
Brazilian jockey Maia made his name in Macau where he won two championships before riding in Singapore in 2020, then Hong Kong for two seasons after that.
Maia, who starts his latest stint in Singapore this week, has been engaged on the very exciting SHIMI GO.
On board in four of his seven starts in New Zealand without winning, the son of Burgundy took local racing by storm, winning his first three starts in the country last year. He then beat all but MILITARY FLAG in the Wilayah Silver Bowl (1200m) last February 11.
Just five years old, SHIMI GO has vast potential and the best has yet to come from him and he lines up with a very handy 54kg in the weights.
Two Singapore based apprentices, Clyde Leck and Jerlyn Seow, are also flying in to have crack at the Cup which is sponsored by Equine Sanctuary for the second year running.
Clyde will ride GAMESTONKS for his cousin Leck Kai Jin who was granted his 'A' licence just last week and has taken over the gelding from his uncle Charles Leck.
GAMESTONKS has been a very exciting galloper in the last two years with four consecutive wins in 2022 and a hattrick last year.
In his season-opener two weeks ago, he was in the thick of things before fading in the closing stages to finish fourth to AWESOME STORM. No doubt that run will take the edges off him and the Showcasing seven-year-old will be a different proposition this time.
Jerlyn will ride former Singapore galloper ARC TRIUMPH. Winner of six races at Kranji, the son of Showcasing has also picked up five wins in Malaysia, finishing the 2023 season with a win and a second.
But ARC TRIUMPH, unplaced in the Cup in 2022, has not raced this season although he had a decent barrier trial last week, finishing second to THE MAREEBA MANGO.
CHINESE TEA and KONG FU PANDA both concluded their preparation for the Cup with victories in their respective races four weeks ago.
CHINESE TEA, with seven wins in 21 starts, will be having his third crack at the Cup. He will be ridden by Hafis Saari.
Another son of Showcasing, KONG FU PANDA shot into prominence in 2022 with five wins including in four consecutive races.
Just five years old, the New Zealand gelding has been tried over varying distances up to 2000m in the last two years, winning over 1400m last time out. Shafiq Rusof will be back to partner him.
CHEVAL BLANC, to be ridden by Tham Kin Chong, will take a step-back in distance in his attempt to win the Cup.
Winner of two races in Singapore, the Irish gelding started his Malaysian campaign with three unbeaten runs, culminating with his victory in the Penang Gold Cup (2000m) last December.
The nine-year-old resumed racing two months ago, finishing second to TRUMPY over 1400m. CHEVAL BLANC has the speed and the stamina, and Tham knows the horse well as he has ridden him in all his four Malaysian starts.
SAN ANDREAS, of course, will attempt to defend his title. The son of Smart Missile has not won again since coming from last to win the Cup last year but has some decent performances in the last 12 months, finishing third to AWESOME STORM over 1400m two weeks ago.
