Bold Runner shines in KL

Here is a word of advice for man and horse.

Do not allow Bold Runner to slip by and get away from you.

The youngster is very nippy and, if not accorded enough respect on Dec 22, he could make you pay dearly.

The three-year-old has been entered for the Special Novice event and he is going to take some catching over the Selangor 1,300m.

Prepared by Ananthen Kuppan, Bold Runner was put through his paces on Dec 17 and his hit-out on the training track left those at trackside with little doubt as to just how much damage he could inflict on those who doubt him.

Sent over the training trip of 600m, this son of Contributer ran out the 600m in 37.4sec.

It was an inspiring gallop from this New Zealand-bred who, in three starts at Sungai Besi, has never been outside the top three.

Yes, he broke the ice on debut when winning over the 1,200m.

That was on Sept 22. Rested for slightly more than a month, he came back looking to put together a race-to-race double.

But it was not to be. Bold Runner, after looking like a winning chance at the furlong mark, had to settle for third, beaten by Duma and Yes Man.

It was the same story in his last start on Dec 1. In a race run over the 1,020m, Bold Runner lost out to Tornado Pegasus.

It would have been frustrating for Ananthen and the owners.

But all that could change on Dec 22.

On the strength of that training gallop, Bold Runner looks a stand-out in that race coming up and a second win from just four starts will not surprise.

Elsewhere on the card, the Class 4 (B) race over the short and sharp 1,020m could all boil down to a two-way tussle between Joju and Sacred Sky.

In separate gallops, the pair ran out the 600m in 40sec and 39.3sec respectively – leaving little to the imagination of those early morning risers who took in the gallops.

A seven-year-old who has put together five wins for trainer Richard Lines, Joju has been finding it difficult getting that sixth victory and, to find her last win, one has to go all the way back to Aug 19, 2023.

Yes, it has been a long while between drinks.

But her last few runs have been respectable and, like Bold Runner, she looks to be on the brink of another victory.

Last start, on Nov 10, the filly by Burgundy finished out of the money but, to her credit, she was less than two lengths from the winner, Lim’s Unique.

Previous to that, on Oct 27, Joju was among the favourites but had to be content with a third placing behind Fa Fa Star.

Joju gets into the action on Dec 22 with a light weight of 53.5kg. Given her come-from-behind style of racing, she could be the one mowing them down at the business end of things.

Her biggest rival on the day could be Sacred Sky.

From Frank Maynard’s yard, the six-year-old is still finding it hard to put a win on the board. That, after 15 starts.

He came close on Oct 6. That day when ridden by a three-kilogram claimer Tuan Ammar, Sacred Sky gave his rivals a headstart when he was slow out of the gates.

To add to his woes, he was obliged to race wide for most of the 1,020m trip.

But he came home full of running – only to lose out by a head to One Abracadabra.

Since then, the son of Zoustar – who was formerly with Jerome Tan at Kranji – has had three races and, on two occasions, he picked up purses for finishing fourth.

Maynard has picked a winnable sort of race for Sacred Sky, who will be having his 16th start on Dec 22. Keep him in your calculations. He looks good to go.

Also from the training track, take note of Songgong Hera.

We pointed him out after he turned in a sparkling trial on Dec 10.

That day, the eight-year-old nosed out his stablemate Faithful Leader, clocking 1min 01.52sec for the 1,000m.

Well, Songgong Hera was another one of the bright sparks on the training track, running the 600m in 38.8sec.

After a relatively quiet 2024 which saw him race just twice, the son of Spirit Of Boom looks to be in good enough condition to give his rivals a run for their money and trainer Richard Lim, his first Malaysian winner since relocating to the Selangor Turf Club.

brian@sph.com.sg