ERUPTION RUMBLES ON TRAINING TRACK

By his lofty standards, it was an “okay” sort of opener to the 2026 racing season.

- Brian Miller

Eruption (Blaike McDougall) finishing off strongly to claim the Class 4A race (1,400m) at Sungai Besi on Jan 26, 2025. The Simon Dunderdale trained-gelding galloped well on Jan 6 ahead of his Supreme B (1,500m) contest on Jan 11. PHOTO: SLTC

(SLTC)

Trainer Simon Dunderdale pulled off a win anda second from 12 runners at Selangor’s I-race meeting on Jan 3.

With a team of 14 — including one emergency acceptor — entered for the meeting on Jan Ul, it could be wise to follow the man who finished second on the 2025 Malaysian trainers’ log on 64 winners.

On the morning of Jan 6 and ona track rated “good” - as opposed to the soggy conditions the day before - the 2024 Malaysian champion trainer’s Eruption showed good action in his preparatory workout at Sungai Besi.

Not out to break any records, he cleared the 600m in 4lsec.

It was a no-frills training, but still a meaningful gallop.

A five-year-old by Xtravagant, Eruption has been one of the stars from the Buffalo Stable.

His record of six wins — of which two were at Kranji when he was under the care of Tim Fitzsimmons — from 24 starts speaks volumes of his ability and we know that he is not done yet.