Dunderdale’s Group 1 winner digs deep to score in NZB Ready To Run Sale Championship

Visiting jockey Bernardo Pinheiro was pumped after Antipodean  clawed back courageously from the jaws of defeat to capture the RM300,000 (S$92,000) New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Ready To Run Sale Championship (1,400m) at Sungai Besi on Oct 12.

Trained by reigning Malaysian champion trainer Simon Dunderdale, the son of Derryn lost no marks at his last-start fourth to Lucky Magic in the Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) on Sept 14.

But Pinheiro, who was on board Antipodean, thought the 2024 Selangor Gold Cup winner would have landed his second Group 1 success if not for the racing mishap that happened in the back straight.

Then, Platinum Emperor (Marc Lerner) mis-strode and fell, causing Good Star and Valois to fall in the process. While Antipodean was spared from the accident, Pinheiro had to bring the five-year-old further out wide from the back, but the pair had too much ground to make up in the end.

With the 59.5kg topweight jumping from gate eight this time, Pinheiro elected to sit Antipodean ($14) in fifth and one-off the rails, while Arigato (Mohd Zaki) and Campionessa (Troy See) set a solid tempo up front in the second leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock series.

Passing the 400m, Antipodean and Duma (Nuqman Rozi) let down together, but it was the latter who had the edge with his neck in front.

With the leaders fading away, it was clear that it was going to be a close fight between the two NZB Ready To Run sale graduates.

With the lighter load of 55kg on his back, the Frank Maynard-trained Duma – who won the first leg in the series, the NZB Ready To Run 2023 Graduate Cup (1,400m) on April 6 – bravely held on to his lead, but Antipodean showed that class matters when he dug deep in the final 100m to eventually get up by half a length.

Rocky Bhai  (Aify Yahaya) ran third. Three-time Group 1 winner Lucky Magic (Shafiq Rizuan), who raced wide throughout, motored home too late and could only manage sixth.

Pinheiro, who scored earlier atop the Lim Shung You-trained War Code ($19) and Dunderdale's Capetian ($8), was glad to see Antipodean atone for his last-start defeat.

"I love this horse. He always gives me his best," said the Dubai-based jockey.

"I was very confident in the Gold Cup, but due to the accident, I had to make the run earlier, even with his top weight (59kg). We lost a lot of ground there.

"I was also very confident with him today because I know he can do better than he did in the Gold Cup last time.

"Simon said the horse is flying, but we were just a bit concerned with his heavy weight.

"It rained earlier and with his heavy weight, I did not want to sit too far back. I squeezed on him in the beginning to get a better position and everything went our way. I'm happy with that.

"Duma is a strong horse and carried a lighter weight, and when he went past me at the top of the straight, he pushed me out. But I know what I had in hand.

"I'm happy with my treble today and also thankful for the good support I get in Malaysia."

Owned by Yee Kin Kong, Antipodean was purchased by Dunderdale for a modest NZ$23,000 (S$17,000) at the 2022 NZB Ready To Run sale.

The New Zealand conditioner revealed the 12-time winner would go for the Sports Toto Supreme Challenge Cup (1,400m) on Nov 2.

As for the promising Capetian who scored a two-length win in the pouring rain in the RM62,000 NZB Ready To Run 2024 Progressive race (1,200m), Dunderdale will give the U S Navy Flag son a well-deserved break.

"Antipodean will most likely run in the Sports Toto next," he said.

"We decided that with the wet track and the top weight of 59.5kg, we need to be handy, or he will never make up ground.

"Capetian is a very nice, well-bred three-year-old who has an exciting future. He probably needs a small rest now, and I'll prepare him for next year."

Talented four-year-old Forever Sixty One  ($21) made it two wins from as many starts in the RM45,000 Novice contest (1,275m), but it was his new trainer Jason Lim's first win in Malaysia.

After a two-year absence from the racing scene, the former Kranji conditioner recently made his comeback at the Oct 5 meeting with six runners, and managed one second with Grand Supreme.

But Lim did not have to wait long to get off the mark after Forever Sixty-One led from start to finish.

Ridden again by his last-start winning partner Zaki, the son of Belardo flew the lids from gate 1 to secure the lead.

The pacemaker followed a similar blueprint for success at his winning debut on April 27, when he was under the care of trainer Ananthen Kuppan.

The AJ's Stable-owned gelding again kicked clear when turning for home, but won even more impressively this time, with his nearest rival Winning Symphony (Tiang Kim Choi) finishing 4¼ lengths behind in second.

His victory did not come as a surprise to the Singaporean trainer. Lim pointed out Thunderous – who finished second to Forever Sixty-One last time – went on to prove himself with a win in the Tabcorp Trophy, a Supreme A race (1,200m) on Sept 14.

"I thought Forever Sixty-One was a good chance as the horse (Thunderous) he beat at his last start has already won a Cup race and went up to Class 1," he said.

"He's a horse that doesn't show a lot at trackwork, but I trust he can deliver on race day.

"I told Zaki to dictate the pace. It feels good to be back training a winner again.

"I want to thank the owners that have put faith in me and supported my journey. Also, a big thanks to the Selangor Turf Club for giving me the chance to train here."