Classy Antipodean can turn up again
The Dunderdale-trained six-year-old works like a winner under in-form jockey Pinheiro
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The Simon Dunderdale-trained Antipodean (Bernardo Pinheiro) storming home late to land the Supreme A contest (1,600m) at Sungai Besi on July 26.
PHOTO: SLTC
Brian Miller
After shooting off that super six-bagger at the just-concluded Selangor meeting on Aug 9, jockey Bernardo Pinheiro is not about to rest on his laurels.
Early on Aug 11, the Brazilian hoop was back to work the horses for the Aug 16 meeting.
Pinheiro was legged up on Malaysia’s highest-rated galloper, Antipodean.
He put his mount to some serious cantering before clapping on the pace to run the 600m in a comfortable 38.5sec.
The Simon Dunderdale-trained Group 1 winner had stablemate and two-time winner Anjou Crown – ridden by Liam Riordan – as a galloping companion.
Antipodean, a 14-time winner, will be shooting for a race-to-race double when he tackles Sungai Besi’s creme de la creme in the Supreme A contest (1,600m).
The Derryn six-year-old galloper won at his last start in a similar race on July 26 when ridden by Pinheiro.
On his record, he should be right at home over the track and trip.
After all, the 2024 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) victor has won three races over the mile, and right now, Dunderdale has him as tight as a piano wire.
Antipodean is good to go, and so too is Aquitaine and Pacific Energy.
They, too, were hard at work and on a track rated “good”, they were timed at 40.3sec and 36.2sec respectively.
Another one from Dunderdale’s den of champions, Aquitaine showed fighting qualities in the Selangor Mile (1,600m) on July 26 when coming from off the pace to score by a short head under Wong Chin Chuen.
The five-year-old son of Deep Field is holding that last-start winning form and a stable queue-up is not out of the equation.
As for Pacific Energy, four of his five victories in Kuala Lumpur were over the shorter 1,200m, but he can easily see out the extra 400m on Aug 16.
Prepared by David Kok, his last win came two starts ago in the 4YO Sprint Championship (1,200m) on June 28.
That day, when hard-ridden by Jerlyn Seow Poh Hui, he came from fifth at the top of the straight to win going away by 1½ lengths.
But, the son of Super Seth had a horrid run in the Selangor Mile next.
The steward’s report revealed he over-raced in the early and middle parts of the race.
And, to make matters worse, he suffered interference at the 800m and had to be severely checked at the 500m.
The five-year-old gelding eventually finished five lengths behind Aquitaine.
But Pacific Energy can improve in his second run over the mile.
Elsewhere on the 13-race programme, keep an eye on Winning Point in the Class 3 contest (1,600m) and Banker’s Bonus in the Class 5A race (1,400m).
Ridden by Lim Shung Uai, Winning Point did a smart gallop, running the 600m in 36.8sec.
As for Banker’s Bonus, he had Joe Kamaruddin in the saddle when covering the same trip in 37.4 sec.
Trained by Lim Shung You, Winning Point broke through for his first win at his fifth start on July 26.
That day, in a Class 3 race (1,400m), the Raise The Flag five-year-old came from sixth at the 200m to run home a winner by a head.
He should be even better over the extra 200m he has to cover on Aug 16.
The Johnny Lim Boon Thong-trained Banker’s Bonus has yet to score in three outings but he is getting there.
The son of Lucky Vega carried some stable support at his last start on Aug 2, but he blew his chances when racing wide over the early and middle stages of the short and sharp 1,020m sprint.
Banker’s Bonus should appreciate the 1,400m. Have him in your calculations.
