Rumeur to step up to the plate
Trainer Siva’s runner in the Chairman’s Trophy works like a winner on May 5
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Rumeur (Aify Yahaya) landing his only Malaysian win in the Class 4A contest (1,150m) on Oct 26. He is entered in the Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m).
PHOTO: SLTC
Brian Miller
It is all systems go for the RM100,000 (S$32,000) Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) at the Selangor Turf Club on May 10.
Most of the stars entered in the feature event shone bright when sent out for their training gallops on the morning of May 5.
Trainer Simon Dunderdale, who has three runners in the big race, was a busy man at the tracks as he watched Antipodean and Thunderous match strides over the 600m in 37.7sec.
The New Zealander would also have been pleased with the gallop tossed in by Eruption, who was involved in the morning’s first trial.
All three looked in tip-top shape, but the runner who truly caught the eye was trainer Siva Kumar’s Rumeur.
The son of Mongolian Khan was kept well in check to clock 39sec for the sharp sprint.
While the clock will say he was not as fast as Dunderdale’s pair, the intent was obvious and with just 52.5kg on his back, he is an outstanding chance.
Critics could argue that Rumeur is just a one-time winner in Kuala Lumpur and that it was in a race run over the much sharper 1,150m.
Since arriving in Malaysia, the New Zealand-bred has not been tested over the mile in eight starts. But, he has actually won over the trip back home.
That was in a Maiden contest at Tauranga on March 16, 2024.
Come May 10, Rumeur will give Malaysia racing’s more established stars a run for their money.
Between Antipodean and Thunderous, they have won 16 races, with the former accounting for a dozen of those wins.
While 2024 Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) winner Antipodean has won over the mile, Thunderous has yet to score beyond 1,400m. But it is a doable trip.
Thunderous has demonstrated that he races best when allowed to run home late. So on May 10, we reckon his rider will be under instructions to save the best for last.
Nowadays, it is rare that the Banker’s Stable does not feature in the headlines.
Their runners will be represented in 10 of the 13 races on May 10 and that enhances their chances of winning.
From what was displayed on the training track, Banker’s Two Six and Banker’s First stood out.
The Johnny Lim Boon Thong-trained Banker’s Two Six will contest the Chairman’s Trophy and he ran the 600m in 37.7sec.
At his last start in Ipoh’s Group 1 Perak Derby (2,000m) on March 22, the son of Toronado was backed down to lean odds but could finish only fourth behind Guru Fight.
If you were one of the many who went home feeling lighter in the pocket, you might want to give him another chance.
Trainer Tiang Kim Choi would have been pleased with Banker’s First’s training gallop.
Set to contest the Metro A sprint (1,200m), he breezed over the 600m in 39.4sec. Jordan Mallyon was the man in the saddle.
The So You Think five-year-old gelding won on debut when he beat a competitive Class 3 field over the 1,200m on April 12.
On the strength of his training gallop, Banker’s First is holding on to that last-start winning form and we should see him shooting for a race-to-race double.
