Free Spirit triumphs in Coronation Cup

IPOH,  25 November 2007

FREE SPIRIT avenged his defeat by GOLDEN ACE in the Coronation Cup last year when he beat the latter in the weight-for-age 1600m event here today.

Ridden by Saimee Jumaat — who is riding on a stay of execution after being suspended one-month for careless riding — FREE SPIRIT started odds-on and finished half-a-length ahead of GOLDEN ACE with the vastly improved IT'S ALL MONEY in third place.

Stakes for the Coronation Cup this year was raised from RM500,000 to RM700,000, making it the fourth richest race in Malaysia behind the Penang Gold Cup (RM1.35m), Sprint Trophy (RM1m) and Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (RM1m).

Just last month, FREE SPIRIT (Citidancer - Star Party by Lomond) also beat GOLDEN ACE to win the RM250,000 Astro Wah Lai Toi Vase (1400m). FREE SPIRIT had finished second and third respectively to GOLDEN ACE in the two events last year.

Purchased by trainer K L Chong for A$28,000 as a yearling, FREE SPIRIT also won the Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) and Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2000m) last year when also partnered by Saimee. FREE SPIRIT has now amassed more than RM2.7 million in earnings.

The RM250,000 Astro Wah Lai Toi Charity Cup this year has attracted the weakest field ever — not a single current Class 1 galloper featured in the 2000m handicap.

BEST OF THE WEEK (Woodborough - Miss Citidal by Blue Eyed Boy) took advantage of the situation to register his fifth win in 15 starts and provided Perth-trained jockey Rio Burnett with his biggest win to date.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

1

 CLASS 2 - 1100M STR

4

 Fire Kingdom McGillivray Y F Leong

1

1

 Gaya Mas Maynard L L Tai

2

3

 Reno Wong K T Cheng

3

5

 Flame Cat Sukri Saimee

4

2

 MAIDEN, DIV 2 - 1400M

2

 Jeram Colour Maynard Saifudin

1

8

 Easy Melang K H Ng Saimee

2

1

 Glory Kingdom McGillivray L Ho

3

5

 Many Many E Breukelen Kumarentheran

4

3

 MAIDEN, DIV 1 - 1400M

10

 Super Lad E Breukelen Saimee

1

9

 Happy Victory K Coetzee N Shahrul

2

3

 Flying Step K Coetzee K T Cheng

3

5

 Miss Lola Khoo J Low

4

4

 ASTRO WAH LAI TOI CHARITY CUP - 2000M

2

 Best Of The Week S B Tan R Burnett

1

7

 Jeram Jade Maynard Saifudin

2

6

 Black Jambhala Khoo S John

3

4

 Jeran New Victory Maynard Saimee

4

5

 CLASS 5, DIV 3 - 1400M

11

 Shanghai Sam Thwaites Cavallo

1

9

 District Attorney McGillivray L Ho

2

13

 Pony Express Sukri Azman

3

12

 Flash Of Light K Coetzee Barnabas

4

7

 CLASS 5, PREMIER - 1400M

8

 Magical Idol E Breukelen K T Cheng

1

10

 Lead To Glory S B Tan Chavez

2

4

 Ban Soon Robert J Low

3

7

 Baby Runner S H Tan Anandan

4

8

 CORONATION CUP (WFA) - 1600M

1

 Free Spirit K L Chong Saimee

1

2

 Golden Ace McGillivray Azhar

2

12

 It's All Money F Nathan S John

3

3

 Triple Happy S Liew Teh

4

9

 DA MA CAI STAKES,  CLASS 3 - 1600M

3

 Mighty Chic K Coetzee Azhar

1

1

 Real Warrior Thwaites Goon

2

7

 Jeram Challenge Maynard Saimee

3

5

 Time To Remember K Coetzee Cavallo

4

10

 CLASS 5, DIV 2 - 1400M

7

 Kuala Dipang A Rahim L L Tai

1

10

 Flirting Prince McGillivray Y F Leong

2

14

 Run Baby Run E Breukelen L Ho

3

5

 Fantastic Fortune E Breukelen Cavallo

4

11

 CLASS 5, DIV 4 - 1400M

4

 Han Venture Danis P Braem

1

14

 Duty Free Spirit K Coetzee Cavallo

2

3

 Brilliant Tycoon Tiang K Eirwan

3

9

 Soonsoon Leelee E Breukelen Kumarentheran

4

12

 CLASS 5, DIV 2 - 1800M

2

 Akashi P Roslan Djulkifli

1

7

 All Alone E Breukelen Kumarentheran

2

6

 U Can I Can Khoo Saifudin

3

8

 Golden Lakshmi A Rahim Vellaikannu

4

13

 CLASS 5, PREMIER - 1800M

1

 Sunshine Orange Thwaites Goon

1

9

 Mighty Greg P Roslan Saifudin

2

12

 On Golden Wings McGillivray Azhar

3

10

 Sovereign Command Wong Yusri

4