Dream Catcher leads champion pony race
W Stable is closing in on the dream of catching the Pony Of The Year title on the local turf.
Stable flagship Dream Catcher is in line to lift its maiden champion pony crown with a table-topping performance thus far as local racing reaches the tailend of the current season.
The four-year- old leads the pack with five wins, one second and one fourth from a total of seven starts with just three race days left -- the second day of the penultimate meeting this coming Sunday (Sept 14) and the final two- day meeting on Nov 9 and 16.
There are three pretenders to the crown – Pintas Lalu and Ini Kali who are stablemates to Dream Catcher, and Stranger, owned by Sara Stable.
Pintas Lalu is presently in second place with three wins, one second, one third and one unplace from six starts.
Stranger has three wins, two thirds and one fourth also from six starts but is in third place for losing out to Pintas Lalu on second placing.
Ini Kali is fourth with three wins, including a deadheat, three seconds and one fourth from seven starts. Since a deadheat apparently counts as half a win, Ini Kali effectively has only two and a half wins.
Based on the present standings, Dream Catcher’s f ive wins, including one last Sunday, put it two wins ahead of two of the pretenders - - Pintas Lalu and Stranger -- and two and a half wins ahead of the third pretender, Ini Kali.
One more win will give Dream Catcher six victories and move it into a safe zone with three wins ahead of the trio wanting in the wings.
Two more wins will give the W Stable’s star galloper a seventh victory, putting it four wins over its closest rivals for an unassailable lead – and the Champion Pony trophy in the bag.
For this educated calculation to come true, a lot will depend on the results of the other three ponies on the final three race days. Their performances henceforth will have a direct bearing on the outcome of the four-way tussle for the top pony accolade.
The pretenders will have to win their next three races in a row and bring their tally to six wins to harbour any real ambition of becoming the champion pony -and that too is contingent upon Dream Catcher not winning as well as not finishing on board in its final three outings. That’s not likely to happen.
As t hi ngs stand, Dream Catcher is still the best bet to win Champion Pony trophy. At the risk of sounding over optimistic, I think it will be hard to wager against that.
If Dream Catcher wins again on Sunday, it will have taken one more step closer towards wrapping up the championship with six victories. On that premise, it’s safe to say ‘game over’ if the other three ponies fail to win this weekend.
Of course, who will pass the winning post first as the Champion Pony race enters the final stretch and how the competition will pan out is left to be seen.
The title could be won sooner than anticipated or it could also go right down to the wire. As they say, in racing anything can happen. May the best pony win.
In the Jockeys’ Championship, Othman Putit leads with seven wins, four seconds, one third and 10 unplaces from 22 rides.
Jasmin Kamar is snapping at his heels in second place with six and a half wins (including a deadheat), seven seconds, seven thirds and 11 unplaces from 32 rides.
Last year’s champion Roslan Bujang sits in third position with six wins, six seconds, five thirds and five unplaces from 22 rides with Hamid Ellie fourth with four wins, six seconds, four thirds and 14 unplaces from 28 rides.
The champion jockey race hinges on the quality of mounts that are given to the rivalling riders.
Othman and Roslan, riding mainly for trainer Tamizi Putit who has a string of strong runners under his charge, should have the edge over Jasmin.
But mere mortals cannot say for sure who Lady Luck will smile on over the final three race days. With a close margin separating the first three jockeys, there is still plenty to ride for before the season peters out.
In the Trainers’ Championship, Tamizi Putit leads thus far with 19 wins, including a deadheat, 10 seconds, 12 thirds, 16 fourths and 25 unplaces.
Edmund Sim is second with 9 wins, 13 seconds, 12 thirds, 14 fourths and 34 unplaces followed by Lee Moi Fong in third place with 7 wins, 10 seconds, 9 thirds, 4 fourths and 21 unplaces.
Mohammad Putit is fourth with 1 win, 1 second, 2 thirds, 1 fourth and 2 unplaces. Not a bad record, considering he has only one pony (Augustus) under his charge.
For Tamizi Putit, the champion trainer prize is as good as his. Saddling 18 and a half wins to date has put beyond the reach of his rivals.