Witnessimpact runs a sizzler in KL comeback
Rising star wins two-horse race between himself and former stablemate Antipodean
KUALA LUMPUR - Despite taking more than two months off, Witnessimpact proved that he is better than ever when he returned to racing and accounted for a top-class field in the RM62,000 (S$18,900) Supreme A Stakes over 1,200m at Sungai Besi on Jan 12.
The set-weight event was billed as a match-up between last season’s sensations Antipodean and Witnessimpact, even if it also marked the debut of former Singapore heavyweights Super Salute and Big Hearted.
A winner of nine of his 10 starts when trained by Simon Dunderdale, Antipodean – now trained by Tiang Kim Choi – was the overwhelming odds-on favourite.
His former stablemate Witnessimpact ($14 on the Singapore Pools tote), unbeaten in four runs before he met his match in a Metro A 1,200m event last Oct 26, was the firm second choice in the betting.
Super Salute and Big Hearted also came in for some support with the rest of the 12-horse field starting at long odds.
The race panned out as many expected.
Veteran galloper Violet (Khaw Choon Kit), Witnessimact (Jerlyn Seow) and Super Salute (Saifudin Ismail) were the first away, while Antipodean (Shafiq Rizuan) was also quick to take up an early position.
Witnessimpact surged to the front on settling down to lead from Violet and Super Salute, who was having his first race since May 18.
Meanwhile, Antipodean settled into a handy fourth position with a keen eye on those in front.
Witnessimpact then broke away to a three-length lead turning into the straight, with Super Salute and Violet still in the chase and Antipodean looking to wind up for his challenge.
Under Seow’s strong urgings, Witnessimpact went further ahead at the 200m and was five lengths clear of the chasing pack at one stage.
Violet soon dropped out of the chase, leaving Super Salute in second spot while Antipodean was just getting into top gear.
The Selangor Gold Cup winner came with his customary dash in the final 200m but it was too late. Witnessimpact went to the line to beat him by a clear 2½ lengths, with a similar distance to Super Salute, a big run by the Singapore three-time Group winner at his racing comeback.
Also catching the eye were Macau import Who Love To Dance (Jackson Low Kang Cheng), who flashed home late to finish fourth, and 2020 Singapore Gold Cup winner Big Hearted (Tham Kin Chong) who ended up in fifth.
“It was a strong win after a break,” said Dunderdale.
“He (Witnessimpact) keeps on improving. It was also a very good ride from Jerlyn.
“Overall, it was a very satisfying win by Witnessimpact.
“From the (winning) trial (on Dec 31) he looked good and, with a light weight (55.5kg), we were quite positive he would at least make it to the top three in this strong field.
“I think the light weight helped. He is a very nice horse.”
Seow was riding the Star Witness five-year-old for the first time.
The gelding came to Malaysia as a maiden, having placed in four of nine starts in Australia, but has now picked up five wins in six starts in the country.
Meanwhile, former Kranji-based apprentice jockey Clyde Leck claimed the riding honours with a hat-trick of wins while keeping it in the family.
His first win came aboard From The Navy ($21) for cousin Joseph Leck in Race 3, before he struck again four races later with Bintang Sixty-One ($33) for his father Charles Leck.
The 2022 Malaysian champion apprentice/senior jockey wrapped up the day in the last race with Naughty Kid ($17) for Joseph Leck. SELANGOR TURF CLUB/TURFONLINE
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