Khoo's Melody Fair is right on song

It is always good to see trainer Leslie Khoo saddle winners.

And, so far, he has been enjoying a grand start to the new year of racing.

Unlike the previous season, when it took him quite a while to land his first winner, 2023 has been great for the top local jockey who, in the 1970s and 1980s, was a household name in the racing game.

To date, and after just two days of racing, Khoo sits pretty with two winners – Super Generous on the season’s opener on Jan 7 and Wild Bee last Saturday.

Khoo has entered a lean team of just three horses for the Chinese New Year meeting on Jan 23 and he could add another win to the year’s tally with Melody Fair.

A trim and taut five-year-old, Melody Fair worked like he meant business at Kranji on Tuesday morning, when covering 600m on the Polytrack in 38.4sec.

Ridden by bang-in-form jockey Wong Chin Chuen, who pulled off a treble to add to the two he had on Day 1, Melody Fair gave Super Generous a two-length headstart over the short and sharp sprint.

At the finish, he had eaten into that lead and finished just half-a-length behind.

Super Generous is down to contest Monday’s Class 5 sprint over 1,200m.

However, on the morning, it was all about Melody Fair.

The two-time winner has been running into a rich vein of form and it could spell another success for the youngster, who began his career only in March.

Melody Fair’s last two runs produced a second (2,000m) and a third (1,600m).

He goes over the 1,400m on Monday. It might seem a tad short for the son of Duelled but Melody Fair can sprint and stay.

Early in his career, he ran second and fourth over 1,200m and 1,400m respectively, and it is a winnable Class 4 race that Khoo has picked for his up-and-coming galloper.

The same could be said for Super Generous.

Class 5 is the five-year-old mare’s “comfort zone” and the 1,200m on turf will be right up her alley.

On the season’s opening day, she stuck to the leader, Per Incrown, before issuing a challenge over the final furlong.

Gathering speed, she rolled to the front to win by a neck.

On the strength of her current form, she could make it two-from-two in 2023.

Another who caught the eye on Tuesday morning was Beyond Sacred.

From the stables of Jerome Tan, he ran out the 600m trip in 38.7. Benny Woodworth was the pilot.

A last-start winner from 15 outings, that victory came on Nov 26, the last day of the 2022 season.

In a tough Open Maiden sprint, which featured some rising talents like last-start winner Great Command, Beyond Sacred held a midfield spot until the final 200m.

He then unleashed a big run which carried him to victory over Great Command and Ahorsewithnoname.

Great Command, trained by Ricardo Le Grange, won last Saturday and gave new rookie Rozlan Nazam his first career winner.

Owned by the Raffles Racing Stable, Beyond Sacred is still a work in progress.

Twice before, he had to play bridesmaid. One of those defeats, on Oct 2, was at the hands of a real talent in Street Of Dreams, who made it four off the reel last Saturday.

Beyond Sacred goes over the mile in a Class 5 event on Monday. It could be what he wants.

Watch out also for Mercury Storm. He had Louis-Philippe Beuzelin doing the steering when he ran the 600m in 36.9. He was paced by Ricvelo.

Even as an eight-year-old, the former Lim’s Pride still has zest for racing.

We saw that at his last start when he ran third to Super Generous, after having to overcome problems along the way.

It was on Feb 2, 2022, that Mercury Storm, who was then trained by Daniel Meagher and racing as Lim’s Pride, won a 1,200m race under Danny Beasley.

Monday will be his third start under Mahadi Taib.

Do not be too hasty in ruling him out. He is getting on in years but he still brings his best to the races.