Trainer Jason Ong continued his strong form at the Selangor Turf Club barrier trials on October 6, securing a victory with his sole runner Pacific Commander. The trials were conducted over a yielding track and featured several promising performances ahead of upcoming races in Malaysia.
Pacific Commander, a six-year-old Australian-bred gelding by Written By with 48 starts in Singapore and Malaysia, outpaced his closest rival So We Fight by two lengths over the 1,000-meter grass course. Ridden by jockey Lim Shung Uai, Pacific Commander completed the distance in 59.94 seconds. The runner-up, So We Fight, trained by Simon Dunderdale, was closely matched for much of the race, staying at Pacific Commander’s side until the final 150 meters.
Both Pacific Commander and So We Fight had been sidelined due to lameness after their previous races—Pacific Commander finished third to RS Dream on April 12, while So We Fight, a three-time winner by So You Think, was lame off-fore after a seventh-place finish on May 10. Their participation in the trials followed veterinary clearance from the club, indicating they are now fit to resume competitive racing.
The trial marked a continuation of Ong's recent success, following his treble at the October 4 meeting. Dunderdale also enjoyed a strong weekend, sharing training honours with Ong after saddling three winners on October 4.
The trials opened with an impressive performance by Rapid Strike, a five-year-old Vancouver gelding trained by Cheng Han Yong. Starting from last place and some 10 lengths behind entering the home stretch, Rapid Strike surged to win the eight-horse field in 59.71 seconds under Haikal Hanif. He edged out Apollo Sixty-One (trained by Ja-lim and ridden by Oscar Chavez) by half a length, with Gilded Voyager (prepared by Wayne Lim Woei Chet and ridden by Mohamed Lukman) completing the top three.
In the final trial session, Mega Velocity posted the fastest time of the day, covering 1,000 meters in 59.53 seconds. The three-year-old chestnut colt by Hanseatic, trained by Jason Lim and ridden by Oscar Chavez, won by 2½ lengths over Moon Light Shadow. Bull Fight finished third. Mega Velocity has twice raced to date, winning his debut on August 9 by almost six lengths with Bernardo Pinheiro in the saddle, suggesting further potential in upcoming races.
The barrier trials provided a valuable benchmark for horses readying for their return to Malaysian racing after layoff periods, with performances from Pacific Commander and So We Fight particularly encouraging for their respective trainers.