Ironstorm can make waves in third run
It was not the best of outings for trainer Richard Lines at the just-concluded Perak race meeting on March 30.
Then again, he had entered a small team of just three runners in Ipoh. However, the British handler still managed to squeeze out a second-placed finish with Straight N Arrow in the third race.
Well, it could all change at the two-day Selangor meetings on April 5 and 6 for Lines, who is tied with Simon Dunderdale on 13 wins on the trainers’ premiership but sits second behind leader Jason Ong (16 wins) on a better countback for seconds.
He has entered a huge team of 24 runners and will fancy putting on his best smile when visiting the winner’s enclosure.
On the morning of April 1, Lines was a busy man at the trackside at Sungai Besi.
A chunk of his runners were put through their paces and Ironstorm was the outstanding one among them.
The Capitalist four-year-old seemed to be in his element when running the 600m in a breezy 41.8sec. The track was rated good.
A new addition to the Lines’ yard this year, Ironstorm has been well schooled and his three trips to the trials were decent runs.
And from two starts in the races, he turned in more than pleasing efforts.
Both times, when partnered by Winston Cheah Wei Wen, he made the board.
The bay galloper ran third to He’s My Halo in an Open Maiden race (1,200m) on Feb 9, before finishing fourth to Pacific Snoopy in a Class 4B sprint (1,020m) on March 1.
Known as Machaon when he raced in Australia, Ironstorm had four visits to the racetrackat Nowra in New South Wales. At his last race on Aug 12, 2024, he finished fourth when ridden by former Kranji jockey Alysha Collett.
On April 5, we will see Ironstorm have his third go in Kuala Lumpur and, on the strength of that most recent gallop, Lines will surely fancy his chances in that Class 4B event (1,200m).
Keep an eye also on Lines’ former galloper, Thunder Star.
The Fighting Son six-year-old ran unplaced at his last race for Lines on March 9 and he is now under the care of Sharee Hamilton.
Thunder Star had a good stretch-out, running the 600m in a leisurely 42sec.
His recent runs have been good and the purpose of that training gallop would have been to iron out whatever rough edges that still remained.
The former two-time winner in Singapore produced two wins and two seconds from five starts under Lines’ tutelage.
Forget his last run in the Class 4B contest (1,020m) on March 9. The Australian-bred bombed out, finishing eighth in that race won by his then-stablemate, Release The Spirit.
Hamilton will know that she has acquired a good one in Thunder Star and she will like his chances in the Class 5A race (1,200m) on April 5.
Dunderdale holds the whip hand in the main race of the day on April 5.
The New Zealand trainer has three runners entered for the Supreme A race over the 1,400m and he could be banking his hopes on the former Donna Logan-trained runner, Te Akau Ben.
The seven-time winner showed speed in his workout, clocking 39.4sec for the 600m.
At his last outing in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup on March 16, Te Akau Ben was out of his depth.
The sprint trip of 1,200m did not suit his running style and he finished a well-beaten sixth to Noah Khan.
Come April 5, he will be back on his pet trip of 1,400m.
If you need convincing, roll back to the days when the Tavistock gelding raced at Kranji and you will see that four of his six wins in Singapore were over the 1,400m.
Te Akau Ben’s last win was over the mile in the Metro A race on March 1.
That day, he crushed his rivals by seven lengths.
The track and trip on April 5 would be to his liking. With his good form, he should be in with some claims.
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