Latest news with #LegacyPowerRacingStable
New Paper
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Ong's Mega Blaze sets trials on fire
Jason Ong probably has in his yard the most accomplished string of horses at Sungai Besi now, and we have seen winners being churned out like water from a tap. Good for the young Singaporean handler and his team, whose hard work is paying off. Yet, it would seem they are bent on keeping the winning momentum going as Ong showcased another good one at the trials, which were run off on the morning of June 24. A three-year-old son by Encryption, Mega Blaze has yet to face the starter, but he was a busy boy at the trials. To date, he has had four such hit-outs going back to March 25. The first three were average runs. One could tell he was finding his feet and getting accustomed to his new surroundings in Malaysia. However, that last one on Tuesday morning would have made his doubters sit up and take notice. Mega Blaze was in his element. Handled by Andre da Silva and having a starting stall test in the first trial, he jumped from the innermost gate and settled into the slipstream of Pacific Hero, who had Laercio de Souza in the saddle. After eyeballing Pacific Hero, Mega Blaze made his move 300m from home and eventually broke clear to win by ½ length. Silver Dragon (Akmazani Mazuki) was doing his best work late and finished with a flourish to take third - ½ length behind Pacific Hero. Mega Blaze worked home in a smart time of 1min 0.15sec. Owned by the Legacy Power Racing Stable, he might not have made his Malaysian debut yet, but he is not clueless in this business. Until coming over from Australia, Mega Blaze was known as Golden Racer and he plied his trade in and around Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. Then under the care of jockey-turned-trainer Danny Beasley - who rode in Singapore for 15 years and was known for his successful combination on Ong's classy War Affair - he had five starts and finished third on two occasions. Now, winning this latest trial does seem to suggest that the tutoring is about over, so watch out when Ong sends his youngster to the races. Mega Blaze could be off to a winning debut. From the same trial, keep an eye on another runner from his yard, Silver Dragon. The Time Test four-year-old ran third, but he made heaps of ground over the final furlong and that run was full of merit. A four-time winner from 19 starts in Singapore, he came over to Sungai Besi after an unplaced run at Kranji's final meeting on Oct 5, 2024, and has since finished third in two trials. Mark him down as a horse to follow. If the first trial was a fight to the finish, the second trial of the morning belonged to just one runner - Spicy Babe. A pacey mare from Lawson Moy's yard, Spicy Babe - previously known as Lim's Jinba in Singapore - has been winless in eight starts, albeit she did place twice at Kranji and finished second in her first race in Malaysia on Feb 9. At her latest trial on June 24, the Jukebox mare was untouchable over the concluding stages and took the chocolates by a healthy three lengths. She clocked an admirable time of 1:00.52 for the 1,000m. Moongate Hero (de Souza), the early leader, took second with Legend Sixty-Three (John Sundradas) having to settle for third. Now a four-year-old, Spicy Babe had her last start on March 23. It was a non-event and in pouring rain, she plodded home to finish fifth to The Wild Goal. Since that last run - where she was found to be lame off-hind - and the trial on June 24, she has had a 93-day break. Judging from her show at the trials, the break must have done her some good. Hopefully, she will be able to bring that form to the races. brian@
New Paper
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Ocean Jupiter could get lucky this time round
Trainer Ananthen Kuppan and the Legacy Power Racing Stable have a good horse, Ocean Jupiter, in the yard, but the four-year-old did not have much luck in his last two runs. They must be pulling at their hair after the Ocean Park chestnut's recent runs because he looked fine on both occasions, but all the good work came undone when he did not get any favours in both races. Two starts back, on April 5, he was blocked for a run at the 250m and had to shift out. He paid the price and settled for fourth - 2½ lengths behind the winner, Fire, in that Class 4B race (1,200m) race. At his last start in the Class 4A event (1,500m) on May 3, he was forced to ease back at the 1,400m mark. Just when he was fashioning a run at the 200m mark, he found himself in a traffic jam. The stewards' report noted that from then on, he had "no clear running". He laboured on and eventually finished third, 1½ lengths behind Engine Start. In preparation for Ocean Jupiter's next assignment - a Class 4B race (1,400m) on May 25, his Malaysian trainer sent him for a piece of serious work at Sungai Besi. On the morning of May 20 - on a track rated yielding - Ocean Jupiter put in a good gallop, running the 600m in 38.1sec. He is not one of the flashiest horses residing in the stables at Sungai Besi, but he has earned his keep. Formerly trained by Tan Kah Soon at Kranji, Ocean Jupiter won twice, including a victory in the Colonel Cup, a Class 5 race (1,400m) at the final meeting in Singapore on Oct 5, 2024. He also bagged three seconds and two thirds for Tan, and should have brought in enough stakes money to pay for both board and lodging, but he is hardly done, yet. With 22 starts, including five runs in Kuala Lumpur, this handsome chestnut has had loads of racing, but he should still have a couple of wins left in him. Also showing off on the training track was Elliot Ness. He worked up a storm, running the 600m in a fluent 37.8sec. Another fine-looking chestnut, he is seven years old and more experienced, with 38 starts under his belt in Singapore and Malaysia. Although the son of Written Tycoon has not yet won or placed in seven starts in Malaysia, he has enjoyed the rapturous applause normally reserved for winners at Kranji. From 31 starts in Singapore, Elliot Ness has trotted into the winner's enclosure six times, all over the 1,100m sprint. Though his runs in Malaysia did little to inspire confidence, we know that he is better than that, given his records at Kranji. Elliot Ness was one of the promising sprinters who was first prepared by New Zealander Mark Walker, before being transferred to compatriot Donna Logan. Other than his six wins, the model of consistency has also six seconds and two thirds to his name. His current trainer Nick Selvan is putting in overtime trying to get Elliot Ness to replicate his Kranji days. That training gallop on May 20 would have been part of the plan to get him ready for the Class 4A contest (1,400m) on May 25. Two last-start winners - Rhett Butler and Behind Player - were also impressive on the training track, clocking 39sec and 41sec over 600m respectively. Another one from Selvan's yard, Rhett Butler scored his last win at Ipoh on May 11. That day, under a ride by Winston Cheah Wei Wen, he powered home to beat Air Boss by ½ length. That Class 5B race was run over the 1,400m trip. The Charm Spirit four-year-old goes over the 1,150m in a similar race on May 25. The three-time winner seems to enjoy finishing off his races, so the sprint trip seems a tad short on paper, but if you roll back the pages to his Singapore debut on April 29, 2023, you will see that he won over 1,100m. Behind Player is on the quick back-up, having won his last start on May 17. That was in a Class 5B race (1,500m). The son of Derryn powered home to beat Crown Dancing by ¾ length under Shafiq Rizuan. His Singaporean trainer Jason Ong, who has been winning races by the spades, landed his first four-timer in Malaysia on May 18 and is leading the trainers' log on 37 wins, 13 more than the second-placed Selvan. With Ong's yard firing on all cylinders at the moment, Behind Player does look capable of running a huge race in the Class 5A event (1,600m) on May 25. brian@
