KUALA LUMOUR:  Feb 4, 2023

After a belated start to his career, RADETZKY MARSCH is beginning to prove his worth with a second consecutive win in a Class 4 - 1200m sprint at Sungei Besi here today.

The Mongolian Khan gelding was sold for NZ$100,000 as a two-year-old at the Ready To Run Sale but only arrived in Malaysia as an unraced four-year-old.

RADETZKY MARSCH was almost five when he had his first race last June, finishing down the field after setting the pace into the straight. He finished third in his next start and had another unplaced outing before turning five.

The New Zealand gelding, trained by Sharee Hamilton, then moved from Penang to Kuala Lumpur when his trainer relocated here.

At his new home base, RADETZKY MARSCH has shown much improvement, starting five times thus far for two wins and two placings.

He broke through for his maiden in a Open Maiden race over 1400m here last December and followed it up with another victory today.

Ridden by Mark Ewe for the first time, RADETZKY MARSCH settled just behind the pacemaker STORM WARNING who set a brisk pace and was still a clear leader coming to the 200m.

But RADETZKY MARSCH, who started favourite, gradually closed the gap in the final 100m to beat STORM WARNING by half a length.

"His is big strider so the instructions were to bowl along and not to hold him too tight," said Ewe. "At the 200m, I panicked a bit, not knowing whether I could catch up with the leader. It was when my horse changed strides that I knew I could beat him. He needs more ground."

"A nice horse who is happy in the Kuala Lumpur environment," said Hamilton. "He has matured a lot in the last six months, and it is pleasing to see him racing well."

"Mark rode him perfectly to instructions and he believes the horse can go to a higher class. He is certainly going to be better over a mile distance."