Top Field can shed Malaysian maiden tag on smart trial win

On a morning at the trials where the spoils were evenly distributed, a handful of gallopers with assignments over the two days of racing coming up at the Selangor Turf Club made the board.

The most impressive among them had to be Top Field.

A “reserve” in Race 4, the Class 4A race over the 1,800m on March 29, the Real Impact seven-year-old from Winson Cheng Han Yong’s stables, took the second of three trials in a thoroughly convincing manner.

Here is how that trial on March 24 panned out.

Ridden by pre-apprentice jockey Gordon Lim and having to clear the outermost gate in the field of seven, Top Field was hopelessly last when they settled down.

Up in the saddle, the young rider knew from the get-go that he had his work cut out for him.

Even when dealing with the kickback from the five runners ahead of him, he never lost his cool and Top Field never lost that will to win.

Into the home straight and they still had eight lengths to make up.

Royal Commission (Benny Woodworth), who led the pack, never looked like surrendering that advantage.

But Top Field never threw in the towel. Peeled to the outside at the 300m mark, he began to make strides and he was, at the furlong marker, “flying”.

Such was his finishing speed that he might have given Royal Commission windburn when he swept to the lead and drew away to win by 2½ lengths. Top Field clocked 1min 0.17sec for the 1,000m.

A four-time winner from 36 starts, he has yet to score in Malaysia. Indeed, his last win was way back on Oct 21, 2023 when, under the care of Jason Ong at Kranji, he put together four in a row.

One of those wins was over the 1,800m trip and, should he get a spot in the line-up on March 29, that will be the distance he will have to cover.

As for runner-up, Royal Commission, he too has lost his way to the winner’s circle.

The Starcraft five-year-old’s last and only win was on Feb 3, 2024 when he was under the charge of trainer Tim Fitzsimmons at Kranji.

But, on his showing at the trial, he could be a factor when he next goes to the races.

In the opening hit-out on a track which was rated “good”, the powerful Banker’s Stable took the top two spots with Banker’s Dowager beating Banker’s Legend.

Indeed, the two “bankers” had the trial to themselves and when the finish loomed, Banker’s Dowager had beaten her stablemate by five lengths – after dictating things from the get-go.

As for Banker’s Legend, he was six lengths clear of third-placed Jinling Starblitz (Woodworth).

Banker’s Dowager (Nuqman Rozi) and Banker’s Legend (Johari Kamaruddin) were being tried with blinkers on and both passed their tests.

For them, however, the real tests will eventually come at their Malaysian debuts.

Banker’s Legend is entered in the Open Maiden (1,200m) on March 28 while Banker’s Dowager was to have run in the Supreme A sprint (1,200m) on March 29.

However, the latter was taken out when declarations were made.

While both runners from Tiang Kim Choi’s yard have yet to be tested in races at Sungai Besi, they arrived in Malaysia with good Australian credentials.

Banker’s Dowager, a five-year-old mare by Russian Revolution, who raced as Russian Snitzel in New South Wales, won two races from 12 starts while Banker’s Legend, a Zoustar three-year-old, who, though winless, finished second and third from seven outings as Lord Coda.

Tiang has been patient with his gallopers and Banker’s Dowager has been to four trials while Banker’s Legend finished a ½-length second to Italian Revolution in an earlier trial on March 17.

The latter will be the first of the new Banker’s duo to show he is worthy of joining your shortlist of horses to follow.

brian@sph.com.sg