KUALA LUMPUR: June 25, 2025

With Elite Prince, winner of the 3YO Sprint Championship (1200m) on Jun 1 opting out, Duma – beaten favourite when second in the earlier contest – will have the chance to make amends in the RM200,000 3YO Mile Championship (1600m) at Sungai Besi this Sunday.

But the 3YO Mile Championship is not simply about Duma going one better, it’s the fact that most of the runners this Sunday have yet to be tested nor achieve success over the mile at this stage of their career.

The Frank Maynard-trained Duma, with three wins in his first six runs, found Elite Prince just too speedy in the Sprint Championship, going down second, 2-1/2 lengths from the winner.

Duma has won over 1400m and that success came in the NZB Ready To Run 2023 Graduate Cup on Apr 6.

Trees Of Valinor, the horse he beat by 3-3/4 lengths into second place that day, has since come out to win his last two starts, and quite impressively over 1400m in Class 4 two weeks ago at that.

Trees Of Valinor, also trained by Maynard, has earlier in his campaign finished second to Duma twice but has struck form at the right time to put his trainer in an enviable position – a two-pronged attack in the 3YO Mile Championship.

Yes Man, who was third in the Sprint Championship, has since turned the tables on Elite Prince with a 5-1/4-length beating of the latter just last Sunday. It was a very impressive pillar-to-post performance considering the margin of the victory.

Elite Prince struggled to keep pace from the start. That run might be a factor in trainer Richard Lim’s decision not to press on with the Mile Championship with his charge.

Yes Man has been very consistent with four wins and four placings in 10 starts but has not won beyond 1200m, although he was twice placed at 1300m. Still, last week’s run indicated that he should be able to see out the mile.

Instead of Elite Prince, Lim has thrown an unknown into the pit – Storm Titan.

The Australian gelding is by Ace High has just one unplaced run over 1200m and winning second-up over a much longer trip is a tough ask. But then, Lim might know a thing or two that we don’t.

Storm Titan is by Ace High, winner of three stakes races including the Victoria Derby (2500m). His dam, Mostly, won four races from 1400m to 1600m. So, pedigree is on his side.

Campionessa, Release The Spirit and Rocky Bhai, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in the 3YO Sprint Championship, will appreciate the longer trip this Sunday judging from the way they finished in that race.

Campionessa won has won once over 1200m from four starts while Release The Spirit won back-to-back races over 1020m and 1150m on the No. 2 track prior to the Sprint.

Rocky Bhai has won twice, over 1400m and 1500m, and was doing good work on the rails in the Sprint.

The trio could be a different proposition come Sunday.

Defeater was given every chance in the Sprint but failed to run on, so a big question mark hang over the gelding on the mile trip.

Rocky Pegasus and Cheval Pegasus will have to improve a ‘ton’ from their runs in the Sprint to pose a threat.

But the one runner who has proven that he can stay is Ever Reliable, and he might just be the horse everyone has to beat.

The son of Reliable Man has won twice over 1700m and 1800m in Class 5 earlier this season.

Ever Reliable has have four runs since, and was doing good work at the finish when fifth to Navy Deals over 1700m three weeks ago.

The gelding will be meeting much stronger opposition this time around and will be have to raise his game.

Strong White will also have no problem seeing out the 1600m trip as he was second to Fort Mustang in a Class 5A race over the distance on Apr 12.

However, it’s been two and a half months since that race and the gelding, also by Reliable Man, has not raced again.

All told, the 3YO Mile Championship should be a fiercely contested affair, and might there be a joker in the pack?

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