By winning the RM1 million Selangor Mile at Sungai Besi on July 20, Lucky Magic added a third major trophy to his growing Group 1 collection — but not before stewards were called upon to settle a post-race protest.
The son of Mendelssohn showed the same grit that saw him capture the Penang Gold Cup last December and the Perak Derby in March. Under a composed ride by Shafiq Rizuan, Lucky Magic unleashed a powerful late rally to take command in the straight and held off the fast-finishing Good Star by a neck, with Antipodean another 2½ lengths back in third.
Despite the objection from Good Star’s connections, alleging interference at the 300m mark, the stewards ruled that the incident was caused by Eruption shifting ground, not Lucky Magic — a view that trainer Winson Cheng Han Yong firmly shared.
“I was not worried at all,” said Cheng. “We saw clearly in the stewards’ room that Eruption hung out. Lucky Magic kept his line. He deserved the win.”
The victory was a significant one — not only because it came in Malaysia’s richest-ever race restricted to four-year-olds, but also because it reaffirmed Lucky Magic’s stature as the country's top middle-distance performer. Breaking from barrier five, Shafiq settled Lucky Magic midfield while Stop The Water set a genuine pace. As they rounded the home turn, Lucky Magic was brought wide and launched his challenge, timing it to perfection.
By the 150m mark, he was in front. Good Star, trained by Mahadi Taib, switched out and surged late but couldn’t quite reach him.
The final time for the 1,600m event was a smart 1:34.4 on the long Sungai Besi course.
Now a winner of eight races, Lucky Magic may soon test international waters. His trainer confirmed that Korea is the next target, with a call to KRA senior steward and racing adviser Fin Powrie already in the pipeline.
“I believe he can run very well, even if it’s the sand track,” Cheng said, eyeing the Group 3 Korea Sprint (1,200m) at Seoul on September 7. “It’s time to take things to the next level.”
Image Selangor Turf Club
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