S.Y. Lim brings up rare hat-trick in Ipoh
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Trainer Lim Shung You leading Arigato (Wong Kam Chong) in the winner's stall after the son of Charm Spirit won the Enrich Stakes A race (1,300m) in Ipoh on Nov 9.
PHOTO: Hew Fee Kit
Sharon Zhang
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Malaysian trainer Lim Shung You found his way back to the winner’s circle in Ipoh on Nov 9 after a month, and pulled off a treble for good measure.
The 40-year-old handler last won with War Code on Oct 12. Five more meetings has passed without any winners since, including his team of five runners that yielded three thirds (Imperial Genie, Cash Cove and Joyee Go) at Sungai Besi on Nov 8.
But when it came to Lim’s team of six at the 10-race meeting in Ipoh, half of them saluted in relatively easy fashion.
Frenetic ($20) was the first to take the honours in the Class 5A event (1,600m) under Lim Shung Uai when the Proisir seven-year-old motored past nine-year-old veteran Leopard Eclipse to score by 1¾ length.
Two races later, the Malaysian hoop rode Sacred Command ($17) to a soft 2½-length first-up victory over the Peter Lee-trained Thunder Spirit in the Class 4B contest (1,600m).
The eight-year-old son of Epaulette was at only his second start in Ipoh after winning his last start in a Class 4A race over the same trip at Perak Turf Club on Sept 20.
It was Arigato ($13) who sealed the treble for Lim by making all in the highlight race of the day, the RM30,000 (S$9,300) Enrich Stakes A race (1,300m).
After securing back-to-back victories in a similar race on Aug 23 and the Charity Cup (1,400m) on Sept 7 – both in Ipoh – the Charm Spirit seven-year-old was disappointing in Kuala Lumpur’s NZB Ready To Run Sale Championship (1,400m) on Oct 12.
Ridden by Mohd Zaki, the usual pacemaker took the lead in that “black type” event, but after being pressured by Campionessa on his outside in the back straight, Arigato was engulfed from the 300m in that race won by 2024 Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) victor Antipodean.
He finished second last, but Arigato bounced back to his best this time.
Under Wong Kam Chong, the nine-time winner from Macau jumped cleanly from barrier 9 and took up the bunny’s role. Even with the top weight of 60kg, the leader still looked to have the race in his keeping in the straight.
Xena (Andre da Silva) made ground at the 150m, but the Winson Cheng Han Yong-trained mare eventually finished 2¾ lengths away in second, while Peaky Blinder (Syafifie Zailuddin) finished the same margin away in third.
“He set too fast a pace in KL last time after being pushed by another runner and had nothing left in the tank in the straight,” said Lim.
“Also, the 1,400m trip was beyond him. He is best suited over 1,200m or 1,300m. I will run him in KL again in the future.
“It’s been many years since I saddled three winners in a meeting, so long ago that I can’t recall my last treble.”
Jockey Benny Woodworth landed his first comeback win when he piloted Platinum Boss ($17) to victory in a Class 4B race (1,150m) at Sungai Besi on Nov 8.
The 51-year-old Malaysian rider bowed out of the scene in 2024 after he clinched the individual title and helped team Malaysia secure victory at his last race meeting at the People’s Turf PLC International Jockeys’ Weekend in Mauritius in October 2024.
But after a 13-month hiatus, the former champion jockey in Malaysia, Singapore and Mauritius decided to return to the races at Selangor, kicking off with six rides at his first meeting on Nov 2. He placed three times then.
In four rides on Nov 8, Woodworth won on the Ricky Choi Chun Wai-trained Platinum Boss, and finished second atop Big Max for trainer Nick Selvan.
“I’m very happy to be back riding winners again. Nothing like coming back and riding horses,” said Woodworth to Turfonline.
“The 13 months of retirement wasn’t easy and I am grateful to the Selangor Turf Club for granting me a licence.”
