Banker’s Two Six in top shape

Such was Banker’s Two Six’s dominance at the barrier trials on Nov 3 that few would have guessed that he had been off the track for 107 days.

Yet, there he was, winning over the 1,000m and, on a track rated yielding, clocking a really smart time of 59.83sec.

Then again, with a rating of 93 – which put him among the elite at the Selangor Turf Club – the Toronado six-year-old was expected to be overpowering.

Ridden by apprentice Farhan Ghazali and having to clear the outermost chute, Banker’s Two Six was neatly into stride.

But instead of dictating terms, Farhan chose to let his mount settle in third spot and in the slipstream of the leader Pacific Hero (Fikri Ismail) and second-placed Banker’s Honor (Johari Kamaruddin).

Into the home stretch, Banker’s Two Six got serious as he grabbed the lead and battled on gamely to hold off his stablemate Banker’s Honor by half-a-length.

Since arriving in Malaysia on July 19, Banker’s Two Six has been a revelation, winning five races from his 11 starts and he is getting better by the day.

Trainer Johnny Lim Boon Thong has entered his galloper for the Supreme Challenge Cup to be run off on Nov 7 and while he will have to deal with the topweight of 59kg in the 1,400m event, his current form should see him make light work of the impost.

That said, the third-placed Anjou Crown (Wong Chin Chuen) is also entered for the RM100,000 (S$31,000) Malaysian Group 3 sprint and with the trial done and dusted, trainer Simon Dunderdale will send him into battle looking like he is ready for a fight.

A five-year-old son of Exceed And Excel, Anjou Crown will step into the action on the back of a really smart win over the Challenge Cup trip on Oct 4.

With Wong in the saddle, the Buffalo Stable-owned gelding certainly made his presence felt when leading from pillar to post.

Sure, he meets tougher opposition on Nov 7 but Dunderdale will ensure that he gets into the action looking like a million bucks.

Another smart winner on the day was Winning Done.

Trained by Lim Shung You and partnered by his brother Lim Shung Uai, Winning Done held down second spot until the top of the straight when he opened up to beat the fast-finishing Perfect Supremacy (Oscar Chavez) by three lengths.

Eased up in the run home, he returned 1min 00.47sec for the 1,000m.

The four-year-old by Irish sire Pinatubo was at the trials by order of the club’s veterinary team. He returned with respiratory distress from his last start on Oct 17.

Unlike what his name may suggest, Winning Done has yet to open his Malaysian account, with his best record in 10 starts a second to Lim’s Craft on Oct 4. With that test passed, he can now focus on that goal.

Another good winner on the day was Little Star, who took the fifth trial of the morning with loads of authority.

Little Star was dead last at the top of the stretch and looked out of it, but once apprentice Gordon Lim Weng Hooi got to work and peeled him to a spot near the outermost railing, Little Star soon got going.

With a clear run ahead of him, Little Star lengthened strides and quickly left his rivals stranded to score by 3½ lengths.

A five-year-old by Time Test, Little Star has yet to race in Malaysia. But he has now had three trials and it should not be long before trainer Cheng Han Yong’s charge is ready for racing action.