KUALA LUMPUR:  Sep 3, 2023

A daring tactic adopted by jockey Lim Shung Uai saw SACRED GURU scored an upset win in the Metro A set-weight event over 1500m at Sungei Besi here today.

Just a week ago, the Savabeel gelding sat right behind the pace before taking over the lead 400m from home. But he found GOOD FIGHT a shade too strong in a fight to the finish line, going down by a neck in a Class 3 – 1400m handicap.

Today, the (RM14) favourite SINCERELY shot to a clear lead soon after the start but SACRED GURU, drawn the outside barrier 10, soon took over and quickly broke away. At the 800m, he was six lengths clear of the field.

SACRED GURU came back to the field at the top of the straight and SINCERELY was within half a length of the leader at the 400m. But the leader refused to be beaten. He raised another effort in the run home and drew clear again in the concluding stages to win by two and a quarter lengths. He paid RM71.

It was a grand comeback for the 10-year-old who landed a hattrick in 2020 and picked up one more win a year later, after winning just once in 20 starts in Singapore.

“The instruction was to sit handy but the pace was too slow so I decided to lead,” said Lim who rode SACRED GURU for the first time last week. “He has improved a lot from his run last week.”

“Obviously, I would have liked him to win last week,” said trainer Frank Maynard. “I backed him up because he has been working like a Class 1 horse. On trackwork, he proved that he is up to the better level.

“Hopefully full steam ahead in a fortnight (in the Selangor Gold Cup) and he might get in on the minimum (weight).”

In collaboration with: