Ahtims Klis back on the list for old times’ sake

IPOH - Ahtims Klis made amends from her last-start defeat to win the RM35,500 (S$10,800) Class 4A (1,400m) handicap in Ipoh on Jan 5.

The nine-year-old Playing God mare finished down the field in the RM150,000 Class 4 Xmas Stakes (1,300m) in Penang on Dec 22.

She went off as the second favourite but was slow into stride and lost several lengths at the start. She ran ninth to Daylight.

Under trainer Kevin Coetzee’s stable apprentice Syafifie Zailuddin this time round, Ahtims Klis jumped well with the six-horse field and settled in fourth spot for most of the journey till the home straight.

That was when Syafifie took her out from the rails to go after pacemaker Golden Lightning (Lim Aun Kean).

Ahtims Klis ($12) collared the Wayne Lim-trained galloper at the 400m.

The pair then matched stride for stride until the 200m, when Ahtims Klis started to pull away and went on to seal the win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Golden Lightning held on for second place, with Ocean Low (Jackson Low Kang Cheng) third another gap of nearly five lengths away.

“My instructions are to jump well but hold and settle behind the pace,” said Syafifie.

“I held her back until the straight and then took her wide to the centre of the track for the run in the soft going.”

It was the eighth win in 45 starts for Ahtims Klis who won five races in 2022, four of them on the trot, when trained by Lim Hoon Seng.

That year, she also finished second to Elite Remarkable in the Group 1 Coronation Cup (1,600m).

She has since been transferred to two different yards, winning once for Nick Selvan, and for the first time for Coetzee on Jan 5, to bring her tally to eight wins and nine placings from 45 starts.

“She (Ahtims Klis) was very unlucky last start with that slow start and deserves the win today,” said Coetzee.

“She used to race against some of the best and the class is always there.”

The South African handler enjoyed a good day at the office, even as the last race of the original six-race programme was abandoned due to inclement weather.

Officials made the decision after the fifth race was battered by heavy rain and near-zero visibility.

It was that very race, the RM22,000 Class 5A (1,000m), that gave Coetzee the brace thanks to Stardice (Shiva Ngyanasegaran, $15).

Another veteran galloper, D’Great Timing, who used to win at the very top like Ahtims Klis, also rang in the new season with a comeback victory.

The 11-year-old staged an upset to notch his 10th career win in the opening event, the Class 5A (1,600m) handicap.

Ridden by apprentice Shazmin Suden, the Good Journey gelding settled well up with the pace set by Fortune Star (Shiva) before taking on the pacemaker 400m out.

D’Great Timing ($54) hit the front and was half a length clear of Fortune Star at one stage, but the latter fought back gallantly near the line to make it a tight finish.

The former two-time Perak Derby winner showed why he was a fearsome competitor in the past as he went to score by a head.

He denied Fortune Star a victory that would have handed veteran Australian trainer Brian Dean a first win in Malaysia at his career comeback in eight years.

D’Great Timing was at his prime from 2018 to 2020, winning the Perak Derby (which was then run over 2,400m) in two consecutive years in 2019 and 2020 when trained by Frank Maynard.

The Australian gelding also captured the Group 1 Piala Emas Sultan Selangor (2,000m) in 2019 and twice finished second in the Penang Gold Cup (2,000m).

His form dipped and he subsequently found himself down in Class 5, but he proved that he can still compete despite his age.

He last won over the same course and distance three months ago on Oct 20 when under the care of Richard Lines.

He was then transferred to trainer William Looi for whom he was finally recording his first win, and overall 10th victory.SELANGOR TURF CLUB/TURFONLINE.