It is all systems go for the RM100,000 (S$32,000) Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) at the Selangor Turf Club on May 10.

Most of the stars entered in the feature event shone bright when sent out for their training gallops on the morning of May 5.

Trainer Simon Dunderdale, who has three runners in the big race, was a busy man at the tracks as he watched Antipodean and Thunderous match strides over the 600m in 37.7sec.

The New Zealander would also have been pleased with the gallop tossed in by Eruption, who was involved in the morning’s first trial.

All three looked in tip-top shape, but the runner who truly caught the eye was trainer Siva Kumar’s Rumeur.

The son of Mongolian Khan was kept well in check to clock 39sec for the sharp sprint.

While the clock will say he was not as fast as Dunderdale’s pair, the intent was obvious and with just 52.5kg on his back, he is an outstanding chance.

Critics could argue that Rumeur is just a one-time winner in Kuala Lumpur and that it was in a race run over the much sharper 1,150m.

Since arriving in Malaysia, the New Zealand-bred has not been tested over the mile in eight starts. But, he has actually won over the trip back home.

That was in a Maiden contest at Tauranga on March 16, 2024.

Come May 10, Rumeur will give Malaysia racing’s more established stars a run for their money.

Between Antipodean and Thunderous, they have won 16 races, with the former accounting for a dozen of those wins.

By: Selangor Turf Club

Photo: Selangor Turf Club