Apr 30, 2025

A big letdown on debut, Big Asia may well bounce back with blinkers added

It was on April 2 that we pointed you in the direction of a youngster with obvious potential, Elite Boy.

Back then, his only claim to fame was when he demolished his rivals to win his first trial on the grass at Sungai Besi.

That day, on a track rated yielding, he proved too smart, winning that hit-out by a length and a half – easing up. That day, too, he did it in a fine time of 1min 0.87sec. It turned out to be the swiftest trial of the morning.

Well, almost in copybook fashion we saw Elite Boy do it again.

That latest one was at the trials run off on April 29 and here is how it all unfolded.

The opening trial of the morning saw trainer Richard Lim’s Elite Boy win his hit-out rather impressively.

Then again, that might have been the plan because we saw Elite Boy settle nicely into sixth spot, allowing January and Skydance Eclipse to trade blows upfront.

Approaching the home straight and Uzair still had his mount on a snug hold as he stayed widest of the lot.

But the games soon ended. With 250m to travel, Elite Boy made his move and it was not long before he grabbed the lead.

But he was not yet home and hosed. January decided he still wanted a slice of the action and he threw everything at Elite Boy.

Alas, it was all in vain as Elite Boy poked his neck in front to win that heads-up, heads-down battle.

On the day, Elite Boy clocked 1min 1.19sec. It was a tad slower than his winning time at his first trial, but it was just as impressive.

The Ribchester four-year-old has yet to face the starter in a race for trainer Lim in Malaysia but he knows what it takes to be first home.

While racing as Pendle Hill in Australia, Elite Boy won a 1,700m race at Warrnambool in Victoria on Sept 12. Earlier, he took third in a 1,400m race at Bendigo.

Lim has been patient with this handsome chestnut. The April 29 trial was yet another indication of just how nicely he is coming along.

With natural progression, he should be ready when Lim decides it is time for him to start paying for his board and lodging.

Another one who should win a race sooner rather than later is Big Asia.

A three-year-old by King For A Day, he showed maturity beyond his tender age when winning his trial at Sungai Besi.

The youngster, who was trialling with blinkers for the first time, must have really enjoyed the headgear which his trainer, Lim Boon Thong, had prescribed.

It made quite a difference from his disappointing debut in a Kuala Lumpur race for Restricted Maidens on April 20. Backed down to favouritism, he finished among the also-rans.

Slowly away, he raced wide throughout the 1,200m contest, and was a well-beaten ninth of 12 to Campionessa.

Big Asia was sent back to the trials, and the result was night and day. The American-bred shot out of the chute like a bullet, pairing up with the Winson Cheng Han Yong-trained Guess Me to open a sizeable lead on the rest – led by Emperor Ridge.

Into the home stretch and it was a two-horse affair but Guess Me soon threw in the towel. It allowed Singha Bay to pick up the gauntlet, but it made no difference. Big Asia lengthened strides and coasted in by five lengths.

It was the most comfortable win of the morning and, on the turf where the trial was run, Big Asia clocked a nice time of 1min 1.79sec.

Yes, the blinkers, it seemed, did the trick. So the big question. Will that extra bit of gear make the difference at his next start?

Well, whenever that may be – and it could have been on May 4 but for the fact that he was pulled out when acceptances closed – Lim Boon Thong, his staff and the Cat Racing Stable will be hoping it brings on a photo-taking session in the winner’s enclosure.

Source : Brian Miller