Selvan’s old girl turns on the charm
At 10, Cher may still deliver on Jan 11, as do Kim Kim, Commander Jones and Elliot Ness
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Cher may be a 10-year-old mare but her recent workouts suggest she can still pack a punch.
PHOTO: SELANGOR TURF CLUB
Brian Miller
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With 12 races looming large on Jan 11, the bulk of the hard work has already been done and dusted.
However, and as always, there are loose ends which need to be tightened and rough edges to be knocked off.
Hence it was, on the morning of Jan 7, trainers sent their gallopers out for those finishing touches and most would have returned to their stables looking as right as racehorses should be.
Busiest among the trainers at Sungai Besi that morning was Nick Selvan.
With runners in eight of the 12 races, the yard would have impressed clockers at trackside with the gallops tossed in by, among others, Kim Kim, Elliot Ness, Cher and Commander Jones.
Taking from the top, there was Cher who sprinted smartly over the 600m in 38sec.
Already a 10-year-old, she has put in recent runs which have not been too shabby.
Take that last-start effort on Sept 21. The daughter of Showcasing came from a long way back to claim second spot behind Tantheman.
Down to contest the opening event, this gutsy mare could set you off on a good trot for the rest of the day.
Kim Kim is another one of the fairer sex who must be treated with respect.
The seven-year-old mare, who will face the starter in Race 3, threw in a nice closing gallop with race-jockey Jackson Low up, when running the 600m in 39.3sec.
An Australian-bred by Adelaide, she likes to lead the lads on a merry chase. As a reminder of her ability, she won her last start with an all-the-way performance in a 1,600m event on Dec 14.
Selvan has found a nice, similar sort of race for his hardy mare who will be having her 40th race start, albeit against some talented runners, especially the “Pacific” pair of Pacific Star and Pacific Sky.
Still, Kim Kim is in a good place right now and deserves your attention as she seeks a race-to-race double.
In Race 6, Selvan will saddle Commander Jones, another one who could puncture some egos.
Returning to active duty after a break of more than four months, the Charm Spirit five-year-old stretched out nicely in his workout when running the 600m in 38sec.
Sent off as second pick at his last start in a mile race on Aug 24, he was obliged to race wide for most of the trip and, when push came to shove, he had nothing left in the tank.
He goes over the shorter 1,200m on Jan 11 where he will carry a featherweight of 53kg. In the competent hands of Harmeet Singh Gill, Commander Jones may well be seen calling the shots.
As for Elliot Ness, the veteran of 50 race starts took it easy with some trotting before running the 600m in 37.7sec.
While he is getting on in years, the Written Tycoon eight-year-old is still a handsome chestnut who should not be overlooked when he lines up for Race 7.
Two starts back in a 1,275m race on Nov 22, he blew away his rivals when beating Pacific Sonic by a hefty four lengths.
Nonetheless, Elliot Ness will have his work cut out on Jan 11 when he takes on some strong cattle.
Among the more daunting opponents are the likes of Johnny Lim Boon Thong’s Banker’s Eightyone, who is gunning for four wins in a row, and the Ooi Chin Chin-trained Strong Dragon, who also tossed in a good workout when running the 600m in 38.3sec.
