Two unnamed runners serve up notice of their good intentions
Kim Empire's recent runs at the Selangor Turf Club, going back to Aug 31, reads like a good book: 4-4-1-2-3-4.
Add in the results at the trials and you have another "1".
The one-time winner has been doing a lot right in recent months and trainer Richard Lines will surely know that he has a really good one for the closing meetings of the year – if he decides to race him – and surely for the season coming up.
A five-year-old by Vancouver, Kim Empire was a smart winner in the third and final trial run off on the morning of Dec 9.
The trial was run on the sand track and the winner clocked 1min 2.84sec.
It may not have been the swiftest of gallops over the 1,000m, but Kim Empire deserved full marks for his persistence when challenged by Raikou (Uzair Sharudin) over the concluding stages.
Indeed, right from the get-go, he and the Jason Ong-trained Raikou had the trial to themselves but it was only over the final stretch that Lines' runner came away to win by a length.
Kim Empire's recent runs tell us that there is a decent engine in that frame of his and this being his first season in Malaysia, the future could be anything he wants it to be.
Until being flown out to contest the races in Malaysia, Kim Empire – then known as Bottler – had five race starts in New South Wales in Australia for one second and two third placings.
His claim to fame here in Malaysia came on Sept 21 when having his eighth race start, he beat Maze in a Class 4 sprint over the 1,300m.
He took second at his next outing and following that he ran third to Sousui.
Right now he looks to be on a good curve and this win at the trials could top him up for a good showing at his next start – maybe even a second career win.
Also looking for good things from their runners are trainers Joseph Leck and Hamsha Aloysius.
They sent two of their yet-to-be-named gallopers to the trials and, at the end of it all, those at trackside would have been scrambling for whatever information they could gather on the two runners.
From the moment the starter sent the field of five on their 1,000m journey on grass, the two unnamed racers were right in the mix.
One of them, who is by Australian sire Grunt, went toe to toe with another newcomer, Yes Boss Yes.
Into the home stretch and there was a line of four. The other unnamed runner, an Irish-bred by Bungle Inthejungle joined in the fray as did Lucky Baby.
The quartet went to the line locked together and a photo showed that the son of Grunt had his neck in front of the Irish-bred who beat Lucky Baby by a nose.
The winner clocked 1:01.88.
So, who are these two newcomers?
The trial winner did his early racing in Victoria. He had six starts and he was a winner at Moonee Valley, no less.
He also took third in a 1,600m race at Cranbourne. He clearly knows the ropes and what it takes to win a race.
As for the son of Bungle Inthejungle, he had eight starts in Ireland where his best effort was a third-placing in a race at Dundalk in the Emerald Isle.
Right now he is a long way from home and he may need some time to settle and acclimatise.
Closer to home, Single Warrior and Forever Sixty-One took second and third behind The Wild Prince, who timed 1:01.25, in the opening trial.
Both runners have been slotted in for the races coming up on Dec 14.
Single Warrior, beaten by a neck, will contest Race 4 – the Class 5 (A) race over 1,400m – while Forever Sixty-One will see action in Race 6 which is a Class 4 (A) 1,200m sprint.
Both would have benefited from their stretch-outs at the trials.
Keep them on your radar.
