Happy Victory triumphant in Tunku Gold Cup

KUALA LUMPUR,  1 Feb 2009

HAPPY VICTORY took advantage of the light impost and the soft going to defeat the top weight and odds-on favourite CHEYENNE DANCER in the RM600,000 Tunku Gold Cup at Sungei Besi here today.

With Selangor Turf Club deciding to switch the 1200m sprint from an weight-for-age contest to a set-weight event, HAPPY VICTORY was one of two horses who were handicapped at 50kg for the opening classic of the season.

Ridden by Shahrul Nizam, HAPPY VICTORY (King's Best - Bylaw by Lear Fan) came from midfield to challenge CHEYENNE DANCER, who had hit the front at the home turn, in the home straight.

With a 7-kg pull in weight, HAPPY VICTORY, trained by Kevin Coetzee, managed to race away in the closing stages to win by one and three quarters lengths. The other bottom weight, outsider ULTIMATE GLAMOUR finished third.

HAPPY VICTORY, winner of the Dewar's Sprint for three-year-olds last June, finished down the field in his first test in the Sultan Gold Vase in November. Next time out, he finished third to stablemate TIME SPEED in the Malaysia 2008 Magic Millions Classic but gave a much improved performance today to clinch his fifth win in 17 starts.

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

1

 CLASS 5 - 1400M

7

 Jeram Gaya Maynard H K Lim

1

2

 Rags To Riches McGillivray Chuah

2

3

 Born Free Tennent F Tan

3

1

 Carry On Wnning Sukri Sofhan

4

2

 MAIDEN - 1400M

10

 Panic Attack Brogan Sani

1

6

 One Step Ahead F Nathan R Burnett

2

1

 Onawingandaprayer Danis Y F Leong

3

5

 He's Born F Nathan Wepner

4

3

 CLASS 5 - 1400M

10

 My Darlin Angel Hoy C F Chan

1

1

 Long Socks H S Lim J Low

2

5

 Ace Fox Maynard Y F Leong

3

2

 Royal Currency Sukri Sofhan

4

4

 CLASSES 1 & 2 - 1200M

7

 Mighty Triple Ace B T Lim H S Gill

1

8

 Mahakaya Hoy Wan

2

2

 Jeram News A Rahim J Low

3

4

 Instant Result Sukri Woodworth

4

5

 DA MA CAI STAKES,  CLASS 3 - 1400M

5

 Blesswithspeed B T Lim H S Gill

1

1

 Jeram Fatt Choy Maynard H K Lim

2

4

 Kiko Classic B T Lim Aify

3

10

 Dashing Spirit Maynard A Nawawi

4

6

 CLASS 3 - 1400M

2

 Terracotta Thwaites C F Chan

1

4

 Bambaazon P K Leong Aslam

2

8

 Lafuar T Yeoh J Nizam

3

6

 Legend Of The Win B T Lim F Tan

4

7

 CLASS 4 - 1900M

9

 Sinar Suria Osman Aslam

1

5

 Jeram Attack Maynard H K Lim

2

4

 Amaro Uno K C Hah Woodworth

3

8

 Pharaoh Greg P Roslan Sofhan

4

8

 TUNKU GOLD CUP - 1200M

10

 Happy Victory K Coetzee N Shahrul

1

1

 Cheyenne Dancer Maynard Chavez

2

11

 Ultimate Glamour K H Ng A Chew

3

2

 Kelantan Thwaites C F Chan

4

9

 CLASS 4 - 1400M

8

 Golden Victory A Rahim L L Tai

1

3

 Hall Of Fame S B Tan R Burnett

2

2

 City Vision Osman Aslam

3

9

 Main Power McGillivray Azhar

4

10

 CLASS 5 - 1800M

12

 Sunny Bravia E Breukelen Poobalan

1

11

 Red Auspice Hoy A Chew

2

2

 King Pharaoh S H Tan H K Lim

3

14

 Lim's Dynamite McGillivray Kumarentheran

4

11

 CLASS 4 - 1400M

6

 District Attorney McGillivray L Ho

1

7

 Leading Request Pereira Chavez

2

10

 Better Times Sukri J Low

3

12

 Irish Eyes Maynard Sivan

4