Latest news with #Kranji
New Paper
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Keep highly rated trio in Metro A on the radar
It could pay to put your attention on three highly rated gallopers, Circuit Mission, Platinum Emperor and Cheval Blanc, at the Sungai Besi meeting on July 12. They are "ranked" the top three - in order of their ratings - in the handicaps of the main race coming up at the Selangor Turf Club. Three days from now, we could see them fighting out the finish in that Metro A sprint (1,400m). Circuit Mission is now sitting on 99 points. Platinum Emperor is at 98 while Cheval Blanc is - on 93 rating points - not too far behind. But being rated in the 90s is not the only thing they have in common. On the morning of July 8, all three were out on the training track and they have impressed all who were taking in the action. Taking it from the top, we have Circuit Mission running the 600m in a fluent 38.9sec. Platinum Emperor went a tick faster, clocking 38.3sec while Cheval Blanc stopped the clock at 38.7sec. Trained by Frank Maynard, Circuit Mission used to be with Lee Freedman, Cliff Brown and then James Peters at Kranji. Between Singapore and Malaysia, he has won eight races - on the Kranji, Penang and Kuala Lumpur tracks. Even before the son of High Chaparral kick-started his career in Asia, he won twice in the UK when trained by Hugo Palmer. Now, at 10, Circuit Mission showed he can still bring theatre to the game and is not about ready to be put out to pasture. The Irish-bred's last victory might have come almost a year ago in the Group 1 Penang Sprint Trophy (1,400m) on July 28, 2024, and his subsequent three runs were nothing to shout about, but he showed improvement at his last start. Ridden by Akmazani Mazuki in the Supreme A event (1,200m) on June 29, Circuit Mission would not have threatened the top three in any way, but he still made ground in the final 100m to finish fifth. Being the bread-and-butter galloper that he is, he will give his best on July 12. And, on the strength of his most recent training gallop, he could puncture a few egos. As for Platinum Emperor, he comes into the picture after a break of more than 100 days and had an easy spin under jockey Marc Lerner in a barrier trial on June 17. The Ricky Choi-trained galloper was second-up at his last run in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) on March 16. That day, under Nuqman Rozi, the Sweynesse five-year-old turned in a decent show, running third behind winner Noah Khan and runner-up, Antipodean. That came a month after Platinum Emperor had smacked his rivals in the Wilayah Silver Bowl Trophy (1,200m) on Feb 2 and won at his first race in Malaysia. Choi has been patient with the eight-time winner from Macau, who is likely to garner interest third-up. Then, from the training track, there was Cheval Blanc. The second of Maynard's pair entered for the sprint on July 12, Cheval Blanc is - like Circuit Mission - a 10-year-old Irish-bred. The son of Red Jazz has faced the starter five times this season. The last occasion was on June 29 and, in a muddling sort of race, Cheval Blanc took fourth. After the run in the Supreme A contest (1,200m), jockey Wong Kam Chong explained to the stewards that he was inconvenienced when his reins were briefly entangled over the neck of Cheval Blanc. There were no such problems during his romp under the morning sun and Maynard would have been pleased with the work put in by his old stager. Outside of that Metro A race, there was good work from Valerie Pegasus. Down to contest the Class 5A event over the short and sharp 1,020m, the five-year-old galloper tossed in a winning workout when running the 600m in 40sec. It was a solid show and very worthy of a line or two in that black book of "horses to follow". Prepared by Nick Selvan, whose last winner was Latin Legend in the Supreme B (1,600m) race on July 6, Valerie Pegasus has been winless in his next five starts after March 1, when he led from barrier to box in the Class 5A race (1,150m) at Sungai Besi. At his last start on June 15, Valerie Pegasus was outpaced in a Class 5A race (1,275m) before finishing seventh to Lightning Gal. The drop in distance could be what he is looking for and, on the back of that honest workout, his Malaysian handler could be looking at a good showing from this son of Shamexpress. brian@
New Paper
26-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
New trainer Aloysius finds calling in racing
Aloysius Hamsha is the last Singaporean to have risen to the training ranks through the Kranji "school", but will kick-start his training career in Malaysia. Before relocating to Selangor, the 40-year-old spent nine years at Kranji, where he started from scratch as a syce with the late legendary trainer Laurie Laxon in June 2014, before joining Lee Freedman, Mark Walker and, finally, Donna Logan. With the cessation of racing in Singapore in October 2024, he moved to Malaysia to work as assistant trainer to Kuala Lumpur handler Sivan Veerapen, before receiving his trainer's licence from the Malayan Racing Association on June 17. While other Sungai Besi-based Singaporean trainers like David Kok, Jerome Tan, Mahadi Taib and Joseph Leck - who also started as grooms - had connections in the racing world, Aloysius did not hail from a racing background, but ultimately decided on the Sport of Kings as his livelihood. After completing his National Service (NS), the Mechanical Engineering diploma holder from Ngee Ann Polytechnic held many different jobs, and was looking for greener pastures until a mutual friend introduced him to racing. "I worked in different jobs before racing. I was in the engineering field after my NS, then joined the shipping industry with the Port of Singapore Authority. After that, I worked at the airport," said Aloysius. "But I realised all that weren't for me. I was changing jobs because I didn't know what I wanted. I was about 29 then (in 2014) and I told myself I wanted to pivot to another area and stop 'floating' around. "I knew an ex-jockey and he introduced me to racing. I didn't know racing at all, but I thought I'd try, so I joined Laurie as a syce." The New Zealand-born nine-time Singapore champion trainer called it quits after the 2017 season, and Aloysius joined Australian Hall of Fame trainer Freedman that year, before he was promoted to stable supervisor in 2018. After spending two years with Walker, Aloysius joined Logan in January 2022 and was granted his assistant trainer's licence five months later. Bu it was when Aloysius was with Freedman that he "found his calling" in horse racing and decided to become a trainer. "I aspired to become a trainer when I was a supervisor with Lee," he said. "It was only after I became a syce that I saw the 'career progression ladder' in front of me. As a stable supervisor, I only had to go past the assistant trainer's rank to become a trainer, so I thought 'why not'?" Other than his grit and hard work in the next few years, Aloysius also had his ex-bosses and former leading trainers in Singapore to thank as he plot his own career path. Freedman was the 2018 Singapore champion trainer, Walker was four-time Singapore champion (2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021) while Logan finished runner-up to Tim Fitzsimmons in 2022. "I've had the privilege of learning from the best in the field," said Aloysius, who has 19 horses under his care at his Kuala Lumpur base. "Laurie understood his horses very well. Mark is a strategist who has a huge team of horses and places them nicely in races. "Lee not only knows his horses, but he also manages his business very well and ensures the stable is making profits. "Donna's a very nice friend and a team player. She gave me more rein and listened to feedback. I think I learned and grew a lot during my one and a half years with her. "To me, the horses are the 'stars'. It's not the trainers or the jockeys. I want to be the man behind the horses and do my best to extract the best out of them." Unlike most of the Kranji trainers who transferred up north after the last day, Aloysius was more proactive. He did not wait till the end to take his destiny into his own hands. He left Kranji in October 2023 right after the news of Singapore's closure broke in June that year, and spent close to two years behind the scene as Sivan's assistant trainer. For his first day at the office under his own banner, the new trainer has fielded four runners - Roger Roger, Never Ask More, Look After and emergency acceptor You Think So at Sungai Besi on June 29. Among his first runners, Aloysius reckoned Roger Roger could acquit himself well in the RM38,000 (S$11,400) Class 5A race (1,400m). "Roger Roger is in very good form. He won at his third-last start (May 17) at very big odds ($228). "He's drawn in gate 14, but he's won from barrier 12 the last time, and it's the same grade. I think he can run well. "XC (Xiaochuan) Liang is suspended, so I put Clyde (Leck) on, whom I knew when he rode in Singapore. We enjoyed success together with Perseverance when the horse won with Sivan (on Aug 24, 2024)." Getting that first win out of the way would be something to tick off Aloysius' list but, win or lose on June 29, he is already planning for the future. "My goal is to stay in this game. I'm thankful for the opportunity to train at Selangor Turf Club and also for the support from my owners," he said. sharonzhang@
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Billionaire Charoen's Frasers Property, Partners Offer Top Bid Of $387 Million For Prime Singapore Plot
Singapore's residential properties are among the most expensive in the world. A consortium that includes Frasers Property—controlled by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi and his family—submitted the highest bid of S$491.5 million ($387 million) for a residential plot in Singapore's upscale Bukit Timah neighborhood. Frasers Property and its partners Japan's Sekisui House and CSC Land, a unit of Beijing-based China State Construction Engineering Corp, outbid eight other groups for the hotly contested plot on the site of the former Singapore Turf City horse racing track until 1999 when it moved to the western Singapore town of Kranji. The government is closing the Kranji race track for good in 2027 and developing a housing estate on the property. Other bidders for the 99-year leasehold site on Dunearn Road include City Developments, controlled by real estate tycoon Kwek Leng Beng and his family, as well as billionaire Wee family's UOL Group, which partnered with unit Singapore Land and privately owned Kheng Leong Co. About 380 residential condominium units can be built on the 13,492 square meter site, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The site is located within a coveted residential enclave near the Sixth Avenue MRT station, Leonard Tay, head of research at property consultancy Knight Frank in Singapore, said in an emailed statement. 'With limited new launches in the area in recent months, pent-up domestic demand particularly from owner-occupiers familiar with Bukit Timah's character and education belt is expected to support interest at [the project's]The project may sell for as much as S$3,200 per square foot, above the effective top bid of S$1,410 per square foot per plot ratio, Tay added. Frasers Property has been stepping up residential developments to tap into resilient demand for luxury homes in the city-state. Last November, it partnered with Sekisui House to redevelop a serviced apartment along the Singapore River near the Raffles Place central business district into a mixed use residential and retail complex. Charoen, 81, is Thailand's third-richest person with a net worth of $10.6 billion based on real-time Forbes data. The self-made billionaire took control of Frasers Property—which owns residential, offices, shopping malls, logistics properties and hotels across Australia, China, Europe and Southeast Asia—following his takeover of Fraser & Neave in 2013. Charoen also owns Chang beer maker Thai Beverages and Bangkok-based developer Asset World Corp.
New Paper
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Eruption ready to explode
Racegoers at Sungai Besi should be in for a treat when the Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship comes up on June 15. Invariably, there will be a bully in the pack, as it has often been the case when such aged series are contested. This year, the big boy in this feature over the 1,200m event appears to be Antipodean. With a rating of 103 and 10 wins from 15 outings - that last one coming on April 5 - Antipodean should start as the logical favourite in the showcase event. But the son of Derryn, who has recorded nine of his wins for Simon Dunderdale and only one for his current trainer, Tiang Kim Choi, might have his work cut out. Emerging from the training track on the morning of June 10, a couple of runners threw down the gauntlet. They could be the ones out to spoil the party for Antipodean. In particular, take note of Eruption and Big Union. Sure, they are both considered "lesser lights" on the big stage but, if allowed to throw in some punches, they both could do damage. Eruption would have gone into the notebooks of many at trackside when he ran the 600m in 37.6sec, while Big Union did not put a hoof wrong when disposing of that same trip in an easy 40.6sec. And, drawing a line through their recent showing in races, both have legitimate chances in that big race for four-year-olds. Eruption boasts a stellar record for the first half of the 2025 season. He won a 1,400m race on Jan 26 and he was again successful over that same trip on April 27. Last time on May 18, when sent away as the raging favourite, the son of Xtravagant found one to beat in Pacific Warrior, who took the honours when winning by half a length. Eruption has since trained on and, while the 1,200m might seem a tad short, his style of racing of staying close to the lead should see him involved in the finish. Yes, Antipodean does seem like he is the one to beat. But, should the Lawson Moy-trained Eruption explode over the final furlong, we might just see fireworks. As for Big Union, he is a huge chance in the contest coming up. Indeed and right now, he must seem like gold dust to his trainer Jerome Tan and the Cat Racing Stable. Big Union has been off the board just four times in his 16 outings at Kranji and now at the Selangor Turf Club. Sure, he has yet to knock home a win in all of his six starts in Malaysia - but he has not been left stranded in any of those races. Last time - on June 1 - and in a "high class" event, he went down fighting to Pacific Victory. A run earlier, on May 18, he ran fourth to the very exciting Pacific Vampire in a Supreme race over the 1,100m. The son of Zoustar will enjoy the short and sharp 1,200m he has to cover on June 15, as three of his five career wins at Kranji were over this same trip. He will give his rivals in the big sprint something to think about. So, keep him in your calculations. Outside of that feature event, two runners entered for the Class 4 sprint over the 1,100m were also put through their paces on the training track. They were War Dragon and Cheerful Baby. War Dragon clocked a flashy 37.6sec for the 600m while Cheerful Baby went over that same trip in 38.2sec. Forget the fact that War Dragon is a 10-year-old going on 11. The son of Battle Paint still believes he is one of the young crowd and, when in the mood, he can still raise a pretty neat gallop. We saw it three starts back on Feb 23 when he ran a half-length second to Legend Ninety Two. It has been a long while since War Dragon, who is also prepared by Moy, last won a race but, on the strength of his work, he might be a good one to toss into those novelty bets. As for Cheerful Baby, another Tan ward, he has been sparingly raced and the assignment coming up will be his second in 2025. However, he has been to three trials and his last one on June 4 saw him finish third behind the winner Kim Legend. His claim to fame must be the time he put together four wins in a row when racing at Kranji. The son of Brazen Beau is not going to do that any time soon but, given his work on the training track, he could, in his next few runs, be capable of bringing home his first Malaysian pay cheque. brian@
New Paper
05-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
The Wild Goal all set to score
Former Kranji trainers Jason Ong and Richard Lim may well have another two potential winners going on the barrier trials at Sungai Besi on June 4. The current runaway leader in the trainers' premiership with 43 winners, Ong sent out The Wild Goal to take the opener while Storm Titan took the third for Lim, who sits sixth on 15 after saddling a treble on June 1. Both impressed with their performances. The Wild Goal (Akmazani Mazuki), who beat Hypeman (Marc Lerner) by a length, would be remembered for breaking the minute mark for the 1,000m dash on grass. He stopped the clock at an impressive 59.82 seconds. Not to be outdone, Storm Titan (Uzair Sharudin), though unable to come under the minute mark, did catch the eye with a five-length romp. Here is how the scenes unfolded. In Trial No. 1, when the starter sent them off, the The Wild Goal scooted away and quickly put a length between himself and the chasing pack, led by the Simon Dunderdale-trained Hypeman, with the Sharee Hamilton-trained Sweet N Sour holding down third. Keeping up a strong gallop, The Wild Goal refused to be intimidated by Hypeman and when push came to shove, he dug in to win by a length. Formerly known as Lucky Goal when racing at Kranji where he won two races, The Wild Goal made himself known to Malaysian racing fans when winning a Class 4 (B) race over the 1,020m on March 23. It was an Ong Stable queue-up with Outfit dropping in for second, some 4½ lengths away. While the margin was impressive, The Wild Goal has yet to put together another victory. Indeed, the best the Shalaa four-year-old could do in four subsequent starts was a second-place finish behind Baby Twins on April 24. But with Ong's stable churning out winners like water from a tap, we could see The Wild One salute sooner rather than later. As for Storm Titan, that win was his third victory from as many barrier trials going back to May 14 when he won in a time of 1min 1.64sec. He was at it again on May 27, beating Captain Pegasus by half a length while clocking 1:00.82. And in that latest hit-out, the unraced Ace High three-year-old led from barrier to box, never allowing his rivals to get a look-in, stopping the clock at 1:00.68. Yes, Storm Titan is getting better with every outing and, when Lim does send him to the races, he is going to be a treat to watch. Then, and also from the morning of June 4, we had Big Business. Schooled by Lim Boon Thong, Big Business was another big winner - coasting in by a massive six lengths in Trial No. 2. Big Business - who was racing with blinkers - was never troubled. He cleared the chute easily and quickly got into stride. The others tried to eat into his lead but he never allowed them to get within swishing distance of his tail. He was unstoppable over the concluding stages and ran away from them to win in a time of 1:00.83 - easing up. Big Business was down to make his grand debut on June 7, but for some medical reason, he will not start in the Open Maiden sprint for which he was nominated. The Shalaa three-year-old was withdrawn on the advice of the club's veterinarians. Watch for the day Lim decides he ticks all the boxes to be sent to the races. He seems to be working towards a decent debut. In the last trial, which was run on sand, Kim Legend was all-conquering. Ridden by track rider Lukman Mohamed, the Nostradamus four-year-old came with a huge run over the last 200m to claim victory. Until then, it appeared like Royal Commission (Nazir Aiman) had it signed, sealed and delivered. But Kim Legend was not to be intimidated. Having just his second trial at Sungai Besi, he swamped the leader to win going away. Trained by Wayne Lim Woei Chet, Kim Legend has had two unplaced outings - one at Ipoh and one at Sungai Besi. Both starts were held in Class 4A company, first over 1,300m before being stepped up to 1,400m. Granted, he did not set the track ablaze, but on his brilliant trial form on June 4, he could be the real deal at his third start. brian@
