Well-timed for Perfect Return

Fresh from that race-to-race double at Sungai Besi on Sept 5, trainer Jason Lim will be hoping the good run continues on the weekend of Sept 12 and 13.

The 43-year-old Singaporean, who saluted with Platinum Harvest and Legend Sixty-Three, has entered a tight team of 18 for the upcoming meeting and, off the bat, his yard could pull off a win with Perfect Return.

Down to contest the Class 3 sprint (1,200m) on the second day of racing at Kuala Lumpur, Perfect Return was one of the better workers during trackwork on the morning of Sept 8.

Taken out by Oscar Chavez for a 600m spin, the four-year-old ran out the sharp trip in 37.8sec.

A fine-looking chestnut by Written Tycoon, Perfect Return would have garnered a fair share of fans when taking third on his Malaysian debut on Aug 30.

That day, when ridden by the Panamanian jockey and sent off as race favourite in a Class 3 event (1,200m), Perfect Return was doing his best work late before finishing third to Banker’s Baby.

He would have benefited from that outing as it had come eight months after his ninth and last start at Pakenham, New South Wales.

A one-time winner over 1,200m in Australia, Perfect Return looks like he is ready to start paying for his keep and his most recent workout does suggest that he could be the one they all have to beat on Sept 13.

Also looking tight and taut is Fortune Tree.

Trained by Winson Cheng Han Yong, the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) victor will be having his 13th start and, on the strength of his workout on Sept 8, he looks the stand-out in that Class 1 race (1,200m) on Sept 13.

Having had to settle for second at his last two outings after a nose-win at his only Group 1 success on March 29, Fortune Tree – a son of Ardrossan – ran out the 600m in 40.5sec after some serious trotting.

Cheng would have been mighty pleased with the five-year-old’s effort. After a smart trial win on Aug 28 when he clocked 58.18sec for the 1,000m, Fortune Tree looks ripe and ready for his sixth success.

A day earlier, on Sept 12, keep an eye on Fright and Triumph Banker’s in the top race of the day – the Class 2 contest (1,020m).

Both gallopers turned in winning workouts.

Fright, who is now prepared by Richard Lim, breezed over the 600m in 37.6sec while trainer Tiang Kim Choi’s Triumph Banker’s was restricted to run the 600m in 38.7sec.

Harmeet Singh Gill guided Fright to the line while Randy Tan took the ride on Triumph Banker’s.

Previously trained by Simon Dunderdale and Frank Maynard, Fright will be at his first start for Lim.

The Brazen Beau five-year-old is looking to go back-to-back following his last-start success in a Class 2 race (1,200m) on Aug 16.

Triumph Banker’s, a five-year-old son of Territories, would like nothing better than to put together his fourth win in a row.

Unless they share the spoils with an unlikely deadheat, the race is shaping to be something special – with little separating the combatants.

Elsewhere on Sept 12, the Class 3 event (1,020m) could serve to introduce Malaysian racegoers to a new star in the form of War Finale.

A newcomer in Jason Ong’s yard, he tossed in a winning workout under Fikri Ismail when running the 600m in 37.2sec.

The son of Frosted was a winner of two races from 12 starts in Australia, the most recent being in New South Wales in February.

That was over the mile, following his win over the 1,500m in March 2025.

On paper, his debut race in Malaysia does appear to be rather short, but in both of War Finale’s wins Down Under, he led from barrier to box.

The five-year-old gelding does have the speed. If left to dictate things in the race coming up, he could lead his rivals on a merry chase.

Also, in his second trial at Sungai Besi on Aug 11, War Finale made up six lengths at the top of the straight to swamp his rivals and win over the 1,000m. Second behind him was four-time Group 1 winner, Lucky Magic.

In the process, he clocked a splendid time of 59.25sec.

Right now, all War Finale needs to do is to carry that form to the races. On the strength of that trial and his most recent workout, he looks like the real deal.

brian@sph.com.sg