Dunderdale’s Fright can start the New Year with a bang

Dec 30 Kuala Lumpur trackwork

One could say that this four-year-old galloper from trainer Simon Dunderdale’s yard is “frightfully good”.

Fright, a son of Brazen Beau, is beginning to make his mark in Malaysian racing.

That, after he failed to win in four starts in Australia, albeit he did place thrice over 1,000m.

But since joining the New Zealander’s yard in sunny Selangor, Fright has been raking in stake money.

To date, he has won three races from six starts going back to Aug 17, when he made that winning debut in a Class 4B sprint (1,150m) over the Sungai Besi layout.

He led all the way, and went on to win his next two outings, all the while leaving his rivals stranded.

Fright has a date with the starter on Jan 3 – which is the first meeting of the new 2026 season.

In preparation for that Supreme A event (1,100m), Dunderdale sent him out for a piece of work on the morning of Dec 30.

Fright did not disappoint the 2024 Malaysian champion trainer. With Harmeet Singh Gill in the saddle, he loosened up with a spot of cantering before turning on the style to run the 600m in a flashy 35.4sec. The track was rated “good”.

The Australian-bred galloper gets into the action with a light weight of 52.5kg. So, he should be right up there.

But to ignore his rivals will be doing them a gross injustice.

There is the highest-rated Pacific Vampire from trainer Jason Ong’s stable. The speedster, who carries the top weight of 59kg, will be out for blood.

But there are two others who also bear watching. 

They are Yes Man and Shimi Go.

Both were also out on the training track, where they made their weekend intentions known.

Yes Man was trotted first before running the 600m in 40.5sec.

As for Shimi Go, he did the same trip in 36.6sec. That too, after some cantering.

Trained by Lim Shung You, Shimi Go scored a fighting win at his last start in a Class 3 race (1,200m) on Dec 7.

That day, under Khaw Choon Kit, the son of Burgundy rushed home to beat Buuraq Sixty-One by a neck.

Already a seven-year-old, Shimi Go is still racing with plenty of vigour, and he must be accorded the respect of a last-start winner.

As for Yes Man, his last six runs have produced three wins, a second and a third.

Forget that last start on Dec 7 when the Tiang Kim Choi-trained four-year-old finished down the course in the Singapore Pools Trophy, a Supreme A race over the 1,200m.

That day, when partnered by Shafiq Rizuan, the son of Yes Yes Yes had a healthy lead straightening for the run home, but he began to hang in and went down a well-beaten eighth.

If anything, his work does suggest that, come Jan 3, he could be in the firing line at the business end of things.

Outside of that Supreme A race, the Class 4B contest (1,400m) should prove exciting and the two combatants to watch could be Banker’s Empire and Storm Titan.

Both worked well. Banker’s Empire ran the 600m in 37sec, while Storm Titan did it in 38.9sec.

Trained by Johnny Lim Boon Thong, Banker’s Empire will be having his Malaysian debut on Jan 3 and, on his overseas record, he should toss in a favourable first-up effort.

Known as First Infantry in the Australian state of Victoria, the son of Omaha Beach placed second, third and fourth in three races at Geelong.

The four-year-old had a trial in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 23 where he finished second to Yes Boss Yes.

Coupled with his work on the morning of Dec 30, this “Banker” could cash in on debut.

As for Storm Titan, he won his last two starts without raising much sweat.

The Winson Cheng Han Yong-trained four-year-old took both of those races by 3¾ lengths, and the son of Ace High can extend his winning streak further.

brian@sph.com.sg