After a couple of minor hiccups earlier in the season, GAMESTONKS is back at his brilliant best and proved that with a near-record performance in the Metro A set-weight event over 1250m at Sungei Besi here today.

Unbeaten in four starts last year, the Showcasing gelding was beaten for the first time last January and was spelled for more than six months after that, thus missing the Tunku Gold Cup (1200m) in May which would have pitted him against the very best sprinters in the country.

On resuming, the seven-year-old finished third first-up in July and has bounced back in style to a land a hattrick.

Ridden by Clyde Leck who was back from Singapore for today's meeting, GAMESTONKS took command on settling down and was never headed after that, winning by one-and-three-quarter length.

GAMESTONKS covered the distance in 1min 12.51secs, just 0.11 second outside the course record set by AWESOME STORM last year.

"The horse ran to expectations," said Clyde. "The last time he ran, he had beaten most of them. He will definitely be one of the top sprinters in Kuala Lumpur. We just have to give him more time to continue racing and hopefully he will win a Cup soon."

"Wow, it was impressive," said trainer Charles Leck. "For him to back up and win three in-a-row is something. It looks like he is heading for bigger things."

GAMESTONKS had a win and three placings in 13 starts in New Zealand before landing in Malaysia.

The father-and-son team brought up a popular double when GOLDEN PAYOUT made amends for his expensive failure last start to win the Class 4 - 1600m handicap although the five-year-old has to battle for his victory.

It was the fifth win in 11 starts for the son of Proisir who landed unraced in Malaysia.