Lucky Jinsha turns in a sizzler

With 76 horses entered for the trials, including a power-packed line-up in the sixth of nine hit-outs, the stage was set for a really good Thursday morning.

Indeed, the entries for the nine-trial programme could easily have qualified as a good race cardin any jurisdiction.

So it was, under a light breezethat the third consecutive session of trials for the week got underway in preparation for racing’s resumption from Jan 7.

And, as it is more often the case with opening acts, there was enough rah-rah to help stir up the action.

Not just that. We also witnessed a forward showing from one of the runners.

Italian Revolution looked in fine fettle when, under Matthew Kellady, he led the field for most of the 1,000m journey. However, a win was not forthcoming.

Just when it seemed like he had pinched it, Sabah Win and Tantheman charged home and Italian Revolution had to settle for third.

But it was a really good show from the Shane Baertschiger-trained galloper who, with two seconds under his girth, looks set to break through for a win in the not-too-distant future.

So much for the curtain-raiser.

There was still the main event, which featured the likes of King Arthur, Celavi, Lucky Jinsha, Sacred Gift and Lim’s Dream, among others.

That trial got underway after the track had been rolled and it lived up to its lofty billing.

Celavi, back in familiar surroundings after her forgettable Korean adventure, led them to the first turn.

Sacred Gift followed. Then came Lucky Jinsha who, with Manoel Nunes in the irons, looked like he really meant business.

Three hundred metres out and Celavi, the mount of apprentice jockey Ibrahim Mamat, looked to be humming along – until Lucky Jinsha came at her.

In a flash, the five-year-old had taken the lead and there was no way he was giving it back.

Lucky Jinsha won by a 1½ lengths and he clocked a truly impressivetime, 58.78sec, the final 600m in 34.2sec.

Trained by 2022 champion Tim Fitzsimmons, Lucky Jinsha has been to the trials 16 times in a career going back to November 2020.

He won nine of those and he broke the one-minute mark for the Polytrack 1,000m on six occasions.

But Thursday’s was the fastest we had ever seen him go.

And it told us one thing. In the season to come, Lucky Jinsha will not need much luck adding to the eight wins he already has.

Celavi – though beaten into third spot – lost no marks.

She had rolled along nicely all the way and would have enjoyed the stretch-out.

It was, incidentally, her second trial since returning from Korea. The first was on Dec 20. She won that one in 60.76sec.

In the third trial, a newcomer named Xiao Bao Bei put in a nice showing when winning in 60.36sec.

Trained by Michael Clements and ridden by Wong Chin Chuen, the three-year-old, whose name means Little Precious One in Mandarin, was lost in the early scramble and unsighted when they straightened.

With Sabah Ace and Cosmic Dancer showing the way, Wong spotted an opening between the two leaders.

He pointed his mount at it and Xiao Bao Bei did the rest. He muscled his way through the gap and cleared away to win by a length in a smart 60.36.

A neck separated Cosmic Dancer and Sabah Ace, who took secondand third respectively.

An Irish-bred, Xiao Bao Bei was havinghis second trial and his effort would have pleased his connections.

Watch for him when he makes his debut. He could be worth a wager.