Banker’s Two Six to extend winning run

With the sheer number of horses racing in their colours, the recently concluded races at Sungai Besi on Feb 28 was just an “okay” day for the Banker’s Stable.

They came away with a winner – Banker’s Rising – and two seconds in Banker’s Glory and Banker’s Baby.

But it seems the Banker’s outfit will again be going great guns when the action unfolds at Sungai Besi on March 8.

Among a team of eight entered, a couple of them tossed in good gallops on the morning of March 3.

Banker’s Two Six, who will be involved in the highlight Stayer Stakes A event (1,800m), hardly raised a sweat when disposing of the 600m in 38.2sec.

Then, there was Banker’s Dragon who was not extended when sent over that same trip in 39sec.

A five-year-old by Toronado, Banker’s Two Six will be shooting for a hat-trick of wins and he looks the real deal.

The chestnut galloper opened his account on Nov 2, 2025 when winning a Class 4A race (1,600m) by three parts of a length.

He misfired at his next start, managing only to finish a three-length sixth behind Saint Tropez in a Class 4A race (1,700m) run in heavy conditions.

But Banker’s Two Six showed promise again when he then ran a neck-second to Kim Emperor in the Group 1 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2,000m) on Dec 7, 2025.

The Johnny Lim Boon Thong-trained gelding then posted that race-to-race double in mile races on Jan 25 and Feb 18, albeit first in a Class 4A race, before his latest start in a Metro A contest.

Trained by Tiang Kim Choi, Banker’s Dragon will be making his Malaysian debut in the Class 4A race (1,020m) and he deserves respect.

The son of Hallowed Crown raced in Australia previously.

There at Warrnambool in Victoria, when racing as Swanny Dee, he won a 1,200m race on a heavy track in December 2024.

On six other occasions, he finished second and third.

Fans who watched the trials would have seen the five-year-old on two occasions, taking fourth in tight finishes.

The Australian-bred looks primed for a good Malaysian debut and, should the weather turn soft or heavy, he will be in his element.

Not to be outdone, the mighty Pacific Stable were also represented at the workouts on March 3 by Pacific MV.

The Headwater gelding stopped the clock in 38.8sec for the 600m gallop.

Prepared by David Kok, Pacific MV has raced 43 times, beginning at Kranji where he won three races before relocating to Selangor, where he beat them all on two occasions.

Last time on Feb 22 in a Class 4B race (1,100m), the six-year-old grey galloper lost no marks when finishing third behind the Jason Ong-trained Pacific Hero.

Kok has picked a winnable sort of race for him and a sixth success could be on the cards.

Also from the training track, there was the gallop thrown in by Fortune Rising.

The Alabama Express four-year-old went great guns clocking an impressive 35.5sec for the 600m.

Yet to race in Malaysia, racegoers will remember him for his fluent win at the trials on Feb 24.

That day, when ridden by Shafiq Rizuan, Fortune Rising returned a really fast time of 59.95sec for the 1,000m.

Until being sent over to trainer Richard Lim’s stables at Sungai Besi, Fortune Rising won twice over 1,000m and 1,100m on city tracks in Australia, where he was known as Shangri La Express.

The Australian-bred had his last race on Feb 1, 2025, when he finished unplaced in a Benchmark 78 race (1,350m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Fortune Rising has, since then, been under wraps, but his recent trial and gallop on the morning of March 3 tells us that he looks ripe and ready to toss in a good Malaysian debut.

Keep him on your shortlist of horses to follow.

brian@sph.com.sg