Winning reunion for Wong and Winning Stride
It was a triumphant reunion for jockey Jimmy Wong Chin Chuen and Winning Stride (NZ) (Wrote) when they captured the main event – the combined Cosmo B and C - 1400m race – at Perak racecourse on Saturday.
Wong last rode the Wrote galloper to victory in a Class 4 race at Kranji this month three years ago.
But he also had a rather frustrating time on the New Zealand gelding, finishing second five times in six others rides in Singapore.
Winning Stride hit the front at the 200m with Heavenly Warrior (NZ) (Ribchester) chasing him on the outside. The New Zealand bred pair then broke away from the rest to fight out the finish, with Winning Stride winning by half a length. Leong Ma Biscuit (NZ) (Belardo) was five lengths away third.
“The horse (Winning Stride) was (fit and) ready, jumped well and we settled nicely behind the leaders,” said Wong.
“After we hit the front, in the last 100m he was sort of waiting for others to come at him.
“I won once on him in Singapore but on the other occasions, he kind of stop after we had taken the lead and got caught.
“He never changed his bad habit. Luckily today we got home first.
“It’s a nice result for my first ride for Coetzee.”
Heavenly Warrior’s three-race winning run came to an end but Coetzee was not disheartened.
“Both horses are equally fit,” he said. Winning Stride and Heavenly Warrior were the joint equal favourites.
“Heavenly Warrior will be better over a longer trip. Winning Stride, too, will appreciate a longer distance.
“For now, they will both run in the Perak Gold Vase (1400m) in two week’s time.”
The Gold Vase distance was changed to 1100m on the short course last year and it will be run over 1400m for the first time on Aug 23.
In his third meeting back from a two-year hiatus, Jockey Randy Tan was off the mark in his comeback to racing when he piloted Kong Fu Panda (NZ) (Showcasing) to victory in a Class 4A - 1200m handicap.
Now eight years old, Kung Fu Panda was the Perak Gold Vase (1100m) winner on this track two years ago when trained by Tiang Kim Choi.
“It’s nice to get a win in my third meeting back,” said Tan.
“He (Kong Fu Panda) settled nicely in midfield early. I got to work him from the 600m and he gave me plenty in the straight.”
For current Kong Fu Panda’s trainer Peter Lee, it was a nostalgic moment.
“Randy’s father, Tan Joo Hock, used to work for me as a track rider for many years in the nineteen eighties” said Lee.
Other New Zealand bred winners in Malaysia on Saturday were Baby Biscuit (NZ) (Vanbrugh), Talkingtalkingguru (NZ) (Telperion) & Flying Warrior (NZ) (Complacent).
