FLYING DIAMOND, who stormed into the classic scene with a runaway win in the RM1.5 million Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2,000m) last June, made it a classic double when he captured the RM500,000 Coronation Cup over 1,600m here today.

Racing well off the pace as usual, the seven-year-old brown Australian gelding by Telesto out of the Centaine mare Innocente was taken to the outside of the track by jockey Grant Cooksley put on "wings" in the final 200m to beat the former Singapore galloper GRAND CANYON (5 ch.a.g Thunder Gulch - Rebisca by Marscay), a debut winner in Malaysia when ridden by Cooksley last week.

The very consistent OPPOSING FORCE (8 ch.nz.g Jetball - Delia’s Choice by Sir Tristram) was a long third of 16 runners.

It was the second win in the series for Cooksley who was successful on THE BEST IN TOWN in 1994.

For trainer John McGillivray, who obtained his licence in mid-season, it was his maiden classic success.

Meanwhile, SOLO VENTURE marked his rapid progress to the top class with a stylish win in the RM250,000 Astro Wah Lai Toi Charity Cup over 2,000m here today.

Fresh from his victory in the Class 2 Dato Sir Clough Thuraisignham Memorial Trophy (1,800m) at Sungei Besi earlier this month, the six-year-old bay Australian gelding by Flying Spur out of the Balmerino mare Hermitage Lane again teamed up with Saimee Jumaat and defied a promotion to win drawing away for his fourth win in 13 starts.

Winner of two races in Australia before landing in Malaysia, SOLO VENTURE served notice of his potential when he won the Wadham Park Trophy over 1,700m at Penang on Sept 11.

He went down narrowly to U CAN I CAN in the Dato Yeoh Cheang Lee Memorial Trophy (2,000m) but has grown from strength to strength since.

BABY STAR (6 ch.nz.g Deputy Governor - Kaapture The Heart by Kaapstad), third in the Perak Derby and Selangor Gold Cup last year, returned to somewhere near his best form to finish second.