May 19, 2026

Trainer Dunderdale’s top-rater and three ‘Banker’s’ runners dazzle at dawn in KL

With 20 races to be held at the Selangor Turf Club on the weekend of May 23 and 24, the training track on the morning of May 19 was a busy place.

Heading the cast was the indomitable Antipodean.

Set to contest the Metro A race (1,700m), the 108-point rater had the bang-in-form rider, Bernardo Pinheiro, doing the steering when running the 600m – unextended – in a time of 39.6sec.

There will still be doubters, and most of them will point out the fact that the Simon Dunderdale-trained five-year-old has never raced over this trip.

But the son of Derryn should appreciate the longer trip.

At his last start in the Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) on May 10, Antipodean was doing his best work late, and eventually finished second, only 2½ lengths behind Banker’s Two Six.

The Chairman’s Trophy winner is also being nominated for the Metro A event, but the Johnny Lim Boon Thong-trained galloper did not step out for training on May 19.

Still, the 2024 Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1,600m) victor will have to fend off some serious challenges of the four-legged kind.

Three of those contenders will be from the Banker’s Stable – Banker’s Kingdom, Banker’s Victory and Banker’s Honor.

Two of them – Banker’s Honor and Banker’s Victory – are prepared by Lim while Banker’s Kingdom is trained by Tiang Kim Choi.

Banker’s Kingdom worked over the 600m in 37.8sec and he comes into the reckoning on the back of a huge 7½-length win at his last start on April 19.

It was a Cosmo C race (1,600m) in Ipoh and Banker’s Kingdom never gave his rivals a look-in.

That was his fifth start in Malaysia and his second success. The first was another runaway win on Feb 7. That was in a Class 4A event (1,400m) and the Brazen Beau four-year-old led from pillar to post, clearing away over the final furlong to put 4¼ lengths between himself and second-placed Sacred Command.

The 1,700m might be a bit long for his front-running style but having won over the mile, he could gobble up the extra 100m.

As for Banker’s Honor, he will relish the trip. He turned in an inspiring gallop when running the 600m in a fast time of 36.6sec.

Having won over the 1,800m and 2,000m, he could easily add the 1,700m trip to his resume.

A four-year-old by Ocean Park, Banker’s Honor is shooting for three-in-a-row and there is little to suggest that he cannot hit the mark.

The grey gelding’s last win in the Supreme C race (2,000m) on April 12 was highly commendable.

Ridden by Farhan Ghazali, he stalked the lead until the furlong marker when he lengthened strides to score by 3¼ lengths.

Banker’s Honor did it while having to carry 57kg. He gets just 53.5kg on May 24. It will feel like a feather on his back.

His stablemate Banker’s Victory has won twice at Kilmore in Australia when known as Pat’s Bro, and he also has two wins to his name since joining Lim’s yard at Sungai Besi.

He trots into Sunday’s action on the back of a big win on April 26.

That day, under apprentice Zulhilmi Marzuki, he scored a 3¾-length win in a competitive Class 3 race over the mile. 

A four-year-old by So You Think, Banker’s Victory is holding that last-start winning form and can make his presence felt.

He worked well on May 19, when running the 600m in 39.9sec.

It was not the fastest of gallops but it should keep him on his toes for the job coming up.

Source : Brian Miller