BIG DAY FOR ASOGAN WITH FOUR-TIMER AT IPOH RACES

Trainer Wayne Lim’s 6YO Shirvo takes out Perak’s highlight event

- Sharon Zhang

Trainer Asogan Thangaraju does not like to count his chickens before they hatch, but he certainly does not mind sitting on top of the Ipoh trainers’ premiership for the 2025 season.

The 59-year-old handler, who finished second to South African conditioner Kevin Coetzee on the Ipoh trainers’ log in 2024, bagged his first four-timer this season with Happy Frankel, A Beautiful Mind, Golden Show and JB Kaingeh at the Ipoh meeting on Sept 20.

He has now chalked up 25 wins, eight more than the second-placed Coetzee. Asogan has been enjoying a good run of success recently, including a treble with Dancing Tycoon, Shylock and A Beautiful Mind at the last Ipoh meeting on Sept 7.

But the humble trainer put it down to “luck” when it came to his lead on the premiership.

“I’m very happy of course, but I think we ‘take turns’. Yesterday it’s me, but come next meeting, it could be somebody else already,” said the former jockey-turned-trainer.

“Still, I’m happy to be leading. We do our best and take every winner as they come.”

The Ipoh-based trainer was off to a winning start when Happy Frankel landed the RM17,000 (S$5,200) Class 5B opening event (1,600m) at big odds of $140.

The Frankel seven-year-old, who last won in a similar race in May, was at only his second win from 30 starts.