Mega Khan and Top Chilli call the shots

Trainer Jason Lim, who came away with a double at the just-concluded Selangor race meeting on Nov 7, could be looking at another good haul at the action coming up on Nov 14.

The Singaporean handler has 10 runners spread out over the 11 races to be contested and heading his team could be Mega Khan.

At the trials on Nov 11, the Swiss Ace eight-year-old – ridden by Oscar Chavez – cleared the gates cleanly and chose to sit at the withers of the leader, Rise To Fame (Haikal Hanif).

There he stayed, seemingly comfortable, until the furlong mark.

Chavez then peeled him to the outside where he drew level and finally pipped Rise to Fame for that top spot. He clocked 1min 00.22sec for the 1,000m.

From 29 starts in Malaysia, Mega Khan has pulled off seven wins, five seconds and a third.

The last time on Oct 24, he stayed last in the early part of that 1,200m sprint and eventually only managed to beat one home.

However, it must be noted that it was a Class 1 contest and he was up against the cream of the crop. Also, all of his last three runs were against top class opposition.

Come Nov 14, Mega Khan will line up against Class 2 rivals in Race 5 and that drop in class could and should make all the difference.

The Mega Captain Stable-owned gelding will have to deal with topweight of 60kg. But he is a big horse and over the flying 1,100m, the impost should not pose much of a problem.

Rise To Fame, who was just narrowly beaten in that trial, is slowly getting into his stride. That latest effort was his third outing in the morning and, by far, it was his best showing.

From trainer Cheng Han Yong’s yard, this five-year-old chestnut, who has a rating of 56 points, almost toppled the much higher-rate Mega Khan (79 points) but eventually had to settle for second.

Still, it was a good run and it was the best we have seen of him from all of his three trials.

Watch out for the son of Telperion when Cheng sends him to the races. Right now, Rise To Fame looks good enough to run a bold race.

Keep an eye also when Top Chilli next goes to the races.

The four-time winner from trainer Tan Eng Peow’s stables showed that he was in good order when winning his trial by two lengths under Jose de Souza.

The Ardrossan six-year-old led the field from the 500m mark and eventually cleared out to score comfortably.

Owned by Ling Boon Lai, Top Chilli has been making regular trips to Ipoh where he won a Class 5A event (1,100m) on Sept 6.

However, two of his four wins also came at Sungai Besi.

The last time he saluted at the Selangor Turf Club was when he beat Olympia in a Class 5A contest (1,150m) way back on March 3.

That said, five of his last six runs – all at the Perak Turf Club – have been noteworthy efforts.

Of the six, he won one race and took second twice.

Top Chilli looks good for a top three showing – be it in Kuala Lumpur or Ipoh. Watch for it.