Last year’s Singapore Gold Cup winner Smart Star has finally notched his first win in Malaysia.

But the victory, achieved after a recent transfer to Charles Leck, was not over 2000m – the distance of the Gold Cup – nor any trip close to it.

It came in the Supreme A race over 1400m at Sungai Besi today, which was perhaps the reason why Smart Star – known for being slow at the start – paid a thumping RM193 for a win.

The raging favourite in the set-weight event was Super Salute who came into the race on the back of three wins in his last four starts, incuding the Penang Turf Club Farewell Trophy (1300m) on May 31.

But the topweight, after being prominent early, came under pressure a long way from home after being caught wide from the start and beat one home.

Berry Bliss was the first to break but Arigato surged to the front soon after and made an early breakaway. Super Salute headed a line of five horses, which included Big Union, Smart Star, Berry Bliss and Mega Gems, chasing the leader.

Arigato led by three lengths at the 800m from Smart Star  with Big Union and Super Salute racing on his outside. Mega Gems lost ground after a check.

Smart Star closed in on the leader making the turn into the straight and was just a length away from Arigato at the top of the straight.

Smart Star headed Arigato at 400m with the rest of the field in a tight bunch behind the leaders.

Smart Star started to race away from the 200m and opened up nicely in the run home to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Big Hearted and Te Akau Ben both came home strongly to finish second and third respectively.

Smart Star had postage stamp on his back when he won the Singapore Gold Cup last October –his fifth win at Kranji when trained by David Kok.

But the son of Star Witness struggled to find that sort of form in two runs under Kok in Malaysia, managing a tame fourth to Lucky Magic in the Perak Derby (2000m) in March.

After his transfer to Leck, Star Witness finished third in a Supreme B race over 1600m but was never in the hunt when ninth to Super Salute in the NZB Walter Vijay Trophy (1300m) in April.

In all these runs, he was slow into strides.

But that change today and it was the deciding factor.

"Smart Star has a habit of jumping slow and (trainer) Charles Leck did a good job of educating him," said Troy See who was abroad the six-yeatr-old for the first time today.

"I think it was the jump-out at the back (of the track) yesterday which brought some spark into his feet.

"He was able to jump out quick today and settled behind the leaders. He was too good for the field."

See went on to take the next race on Oriental Halflamma for trainer Ricky Choi and it was his third double since granted a licence to ride by the Selangor Turf Club this month.

Choi, who has not saddled a winner in June, went on to complete a double himself with Wealthyness, ridden by Andre da Silva, two races later.