20-07-2025
Rocket Boy returns to winning ways in Cosmo C race
IPOH - Rocket Boy, who was disappointing in his last run on June 8, bounced back to his best when he claimed his third win from five starts in the RM26,000 (S$7,800) Cosmo C race (1,400m) at Ipoh on July 19.
Trained by Ismadi Ismail, the Capitalist four-year-old was settled in fourth spot by regular rider How Yang, while last-start winner Wilamara (Wong Kam Chong) sat on his outside.
Not long after straightening, Rocket Boy ($18) took over the lead from pacemaker Black Thorn (Ganeesh Munusamy). Wilamara began motoring home steadily from the 200m to give Rocket Boy a run for his money, but the latter managed to stave off the challenge and score with a length to spare.
Black Thorn finished another 2¼ lengths away in third. The winning time was 1min 24.09sec for the 1,400m on the long course.
Assistant trainer Yan Weng Kuan said the longer break of six weeks was intended for Rocket Boy.
"After his last run, we wanted to keep him fresh," he said.
Taking a sit in the race has also reaped rewards for Yang, who has ridden the Lau Teik Kip-owned gelding in all his five starts in Ipoh.
"As it was his first attempt over 1,400m, we decided to settle just off the pace and waited for the straight to make our bid," he said.
Known as Worx in Australia, Rocket Boy has won twice over the 1,200m and 1,300m in 12 starts Down Under.
Trained in Kuala Lumpur by Richard Lim, The Shadow ($18) has completed a hat-trick of wins on the Ipoh track in the RM20,000 Class 5A contest (1,400m).
The Dissident eight-year-old won five races at Kranji, with his first three wins under Michael Clements and his last two under Lim.
It was on May 11 when Lim first sent The Shadow to Ipoh and he finished fourth in a Class 5A race (1,400m). But it has been three wins on the trot - all over 1,400m - for him at Ipoh since.
After bowling along in third, The Shadow (Harmeet Singh Gill) ranged alongside Discretely Red (Haikal Hanif) and D'Great Magic (Shazmin Sudin) at the 300m, and kicked clear to win by 2¾ lengths from Boss Nine Nine (Wong Kam Chong), who missed the start but still stormed home for second.
Yet, three successive wins in Ipoh did not mean connections were looking at bigger races for him at Sungai Besi.
"No, his owners (Team Cheval Stable) want him to run in Ipoh," said Lim.
Ipoh trainer Khor Peng Hwa has landed his first treble in Malaysia - with Retallica ($17), Brotherly Love ($24) and Crazy Love ($14) - since his training career kicked off in late April.
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