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Kinabalu Warrior’s previous starts at Kranji had been neither earth-shattering nor hopeless, but the maiden galloper put it altogether at his sixth start for a stirring come-from-behind first success on Saturday.
Settled in midfield by first-time partner A'Isisuhairi Kasim in the $75,000 Debt Collector 2018 Stakes Restricted Maiden race over 1400m, the Australian-bred four-year-old son of little-known US-based sire Warrior's Reward (x Medaglia D'Oro) plotted the outermost path from the 500m to swing for home the widest.
Special Ops (Vlad Duric) looked headed for his first win when he broke clear at the 300m, but Kinabalu Warrior ($32) came chipping away at the margin on the outside to just touch the leader off by a short head.
Race-leader Alexander Horatio (Matthew Kellady) put up a good struggle but faded inside the last furlong to finish third another three lengths away. The winning time was 1min 23.15secs for the 1400m on the Long Course.
Winning trainer David Kok said he had always detected a certain potential in the new horse raced by the Royal Sabah Turf Club.
"This horse has ability but he's not been an easy horse to ride. He got checked twice in his races, he then switched off and failed," said Kok, who was collecting his seventh winner this season.
"But today, Harry had him clear on the outside, there was no interference, and he ran on very well. I wasn't sure if he won on the line, but I was very happy when the photo went my way.
"I would have preferred a mile race for him, but there aren't many such race for four-year-olds. The Royal Sabah Turf Club had a horse with me some time back, and it's good to train another winner for them.
"I bought this horse for them at a private sale in Australia. I saw him and liked how strong he looked, and his gallop was quite nice, too."
A'Isisuhairi went on to ride a double in almost carbon-copy style aboard Iron Fist ($28) two races later in the $30,000 Laughing Gravy 2016 Stakes Class 5 Division 2 race. The Malaysian jockey again kept the powder dry at the rear on the Japanese-bred five-year-old by Nakayama Festa before circling the field from the 600m.
Master Sommelier (Matthew Kellady) was the first to hit the front in the straight before Gold Kingdom came charging home in a bid to give comeback jockey John Powell his first win since returning to the saddle after beating cancer, but they were both left high and dry by Iron Fist's superior turn of foot.
The former Hideyuki Takaoka-trained galloper defeated Gold Kingdom by a neck to finally break his duck at his 28th start, but only at his third start for Logan since moving to the Kiwi handler during the Circuit Breaker.
