Home Is Where Things Get Lucky

Plans for overseas races shelved, trainer Cheng's 5YO takes out third Malaysian GI

- Sharon Zhang

Trainer Winson Cheng Han Yong has made the right decision to keep Lucky Magic in Malaysia after he drew clear to land the RM300,000 (S$91,400) Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) on Sept 14.

The young Malaysian handler decided to skip the international Group 3 Korea Sprint (1,200m) which was eventually won by Hong Kong's Self Improvement at Seoul racecourse on Sept 7 for the second leg of the Malaysian Triple Crown series instead.

Cheng had earlier planned to enter the Happy Baby Stable-owned galloper in South Korea's sprint feature after Lucky Magic took out the Selangor Mile (1,600m) at his last start on July 20.

"On second thought, maybe it's too close, so we decided to target him for the Gold Cup instead," he said.

"I love travelling, and I think he would be good enough to travel overseas some day."

His new plan bore fruit, even if the highlight race at the 11-race meeting was marred by the fall of three jockeys shortly after the field of 13 began to make their turn into the bend.

Platinum Emperor (Marc Lerner)—who was sitting in fourth behind leader Pacific Warrior (Jerlyn Seow), Berry Bliss (Clyde Leck) and Raising Sixty-One (Mohd Zaki)—mis-strode and fell, causing Good Star (Khairil Zulkiflee) and Valois (Kaidan Brewer), who were following behind, to lose their balance and fall too.