Trainer Ooi Chin Chin continued to build on recent success at Malaysian racetracks with a strong showing in barrier trials held at Sungai Besi on July 21. Ooi’s filly, Gold Medal Madam, secured a hard-fought victory in the opening trial, completing the 1,000-meter distance in 59.38 seconds—the fastest time recorded that morning.
Gold Medal Madam, ridden by Khaw Choon Kit, narrowly held off a determined challenge from Welcome Banker’s, a contender trained by Johnny Lim Boon Tong. Welcome Banker’s set the pace early in the race, maintaining a strong lead for the first 600 meters before being overtaken by Gold Medal Madam at the top of the straight. Despite this, Welcome Banker’s fought back in the closing stages, making for an intense duel before the filly ultimately prevailed by three parts of a length. This trial marked Gold Medal Madam’s first official appearance in Malaysia after two starts in New South Wales, Australia, where she raced under the name Space Cadet and finished second in a 1,000-meter race at Nowra.
Another notable performance came from Mega Velocity, a two-year-old Hanseatic colt trained by Jason Lim. Making his second trial appearance following a run on July 7, Mega Velocity improved significantly by winning the third trial by 3½ lengths in a time of 1:00.38 minutes. Jockey Bernardo Pinheiro guided the colt, who faced early pressure from an unnamed runner trained by Simon Dunderdale with Liam Riordan aboard. Mega Velocity pulled away decisively approaching the 250-meter mark, displaying notable speed. The colt is yet to make his official race debut in Malaysia but has shown promise in trial efforts.
Trainer Simon Dunderdale continued his strong form by winning the fourth and fifth trials with two two-year-olds racing for the Buffalo Stable, Navarre Regent and Navarre Crown. Navarre Regent, a son of Super Seth, led wire-to-wire in the fourth trial with jockey Liam Riordan aboard, winning by three lengths over stablemate Capet Regent. The winning time was recorded at 1:00.26. Since joining Dunderdale’s yard in early February, Navarre Regent has participated in two trials, taking second place in his first outing on June 30.
Navarre Crown, a son of Yes Yes Yes, claimed victory in an Official Race Trial with apparent ease. Though still unraced and considered raw, the colt’s performance indicates thorough preparation by Dunderdale’s team. Both Navarre Regent and Navarre Crown are anticipated to make promising debuts in upcoming races, potentially contributing valuable wins for their trainer and the Buffalo Stable.
Overall, the barrier trials showcased emerging talent in Malaysia’s racing circuit, highlighting the readiness of several young horses for competitive racing in the near future.