Antipodean (NZ) Shines in Selangor Gold Cup

Sunday’s RM200,000 Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) was taken out in never-say-die style by an emerging superstar of Malaysian racing.

Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn) was bought for $23,000 by trainer Simon Dunderdale at the 2022 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. The gelding has had nine starts in Malaysia for eight wins and a second, earning the equivalent of NZ$130,000 and showing no sign of stopping there.

Antipodean kicked off his career with a debut victory at Selangor in February of this year, and he proceeded to win all of his next six starts in succession including the RM100,000 Pacific Cup (1200m) and the RM100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock 3YO Trophy (1400m).

The four-year-old’s sensational sequence was briefly interrupted by a second placing on August 24, but Antipodean roared back to the top of the podium in Sunday’s Selangor Gold Cup.

Jockey Bernardo Pinheiro positioned Antipodean in fifth and well away from the rail before sliding up on the outside of the leaders at the home turn. Antipodean lengthened stride in the straight and surged into the lead, but then he was joined and headed as Golden Pegasus (Star Turn) flew up on his outside.

Antipodean lifted again and clawed his way back level. After a head-bobbing battle through the last 100 metres, Antipodean lunged at the line and defeated Golden Pegasus by a head.

Antipodean became the third consecutive Ready to Run Sale graduate to win the Selangor Gold Cup, following on from Black Thorn (NZ) (Redwood) and Pasir Pinji (NZ) (Nadeem).

The 2024 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will be held at Karaka on November 20 and 21, where a full sibling to the rising star will be on offer.