Arigato to late trainer Stephen Cook
The S.Y. Lim-trained 7YO salutes in main event honouring Ipoh’s long-time handler
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The Lim Shung You-trained galloper Arigato (Syafifie Zailuddin) shooting clear to claim the Stephen J Cook Stakes (1,200m) in Ipoh on May 9.
PHOTO: HEW FEE KIT
IPOH – The Perak Turf Club paid tribute to their recently departed trainer Stephen Cook by naming all 11 races in his honour in Ipoh on May 9.
The Australian handler trained in Ipoh for 24 years before he died on April 23 at the age of 64 after a prolonged illness.
The late Australian handler Stephen Cook trained in Ipoh for 24 years.
PHOTO: STEPHEN COOK/FACEBOOK
Previously licensed by the Victoria Racing Club, Cook came to Malaysia in 2002, notching 340 wins all-up, including three wins this season.
His last winner was Ragnar, who took out a Class 5A contest in Ipoh on Feb 14.
The best horse under his care was arguably Truson, who won the Mitavite Cup in 2015 and went on to bag the Group 1 Coronation Cup the following year.
The son of Al Maher continued to race at his best for another two seasons, and he was known for winning the Group 1 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor in 2017 and the Group 1 Perak Derby in 2018.
Cook’s top sprinter Blue Tosca first won the Dato Lee Kok Chee Trophy in 2008 before dead-heating with Eagle to win the 2011 Penang Sprint Trophy.
He also bagged the Perak Gold Vase and the Dato Ronald Khoo Teng Swee Trophy that season.
Another Group 1 success for Cook came in the 2014 Perak Derby with Carbon Copy.
Cook’s first notable win was the Korea Racing Authority Trophy with Time To Remember in 2005.
He also bagged the Dato Sir Clough Thuraisingham Trophy with Jug Full in 2007, the 2008 Dato Ronald Khoo Teng Swee Trophy with Mahadesa and the Malaysia 3YO Championship with Porsence in 2017.
His most recent feature race success came in the 2022 Penang Island Cup with No Fun No Gain.
Two weeks after Cook’s demise, it was the appropriately named former Macau galloper Arigato who emerged triumphant in the main event – the RM39,000 (S$12,600) Stephen J Cook Stakes, an Enrich Stakes A (1,200m) race named in his memory.
Trained at Sungai Besi by Lim Shung You, the son of Charm Spirit has now won in four consecutive appearances in Ipoh.
A winner of nine races at Taipa racecourse, Arigato’s first win in Malaysia came in Kuala Lumpur in a Supreme A contest on Dec 22, 2024. After that, he struggled to make any impact at Sungai Besi.
Lim tried his luck by bringing Arigato back to Ipoh – where he made his Malaysian debut in November 2024 – but he was unplaced in the Group 1 Perak Gold Vase (1,100m) on July 13, 2025.
After that, however, the seven-year-old was unbeatable on the Ipoh tracks, including bagging the Charity Cup (1,400m) on Sept 7, 2025.
Arigato’s last visit to Ipoh was in November when he won an Enrich Stakes A race. He has since finished down the field in six runs at Sungai Besi.
Back in Ipoh and facing six rivals, Arigato ($33) was at the top of his game again when he led all the way with apprentice Syafifie Zailuddin riding him for the first time.
Beauty Choice (Ikram Jamaludin) broke first and led early, but once Arigato took over the running after 200m, the race was practically over.
Arigato won by 1¾ lengths, with the favourite Lucky Lyle (Harmeet Singh Gill) doing best of the rest at the finish to run second, while his stablemate Leong Ma Biscuit (Tan Chee Kit) finished third.
Lim was glad the Neo Stable-owned gelding finally won in a race against weaker opponents.
“Nothing to shout about this win. The track conditions today suited him (Arigato),” he said.
“He was the highest-rated runner and apart from Shirvo, was racing against Class 3 and 4 horses.”
“Still, it was a good win after all the disappointing results lately.” TURFONLINE
