Mega Ace, a three-year-old Australian-bred Earthlight gelding, will run in the 3YO Sprint Championship (1,200m) on June 14 following his victory in the RM62,000 Mitavite Asia Cup (1,100m) held at Sungai Besi on May 23 [1, 2].
Ridden by regular jockey Benny Woodworth, Mega Ace won the Asia Cup by a nose against Pacific Energy in a tight finish. Woodworth reported, "I thought I lost the race at the line. He is the fastest over 1,100m but might be a little suspect over 1,200m. But he will be up against his own age group. He did it the hard way on the wet track which, albeit, was drying up a little bit after the rain" [1, 2]. Mega Ace led much of the race, setting the pace on a wet track before holding off his rival in the final 100 meters [1, 2].
Owned by Mega Captain Stable, Mega Ace has won five of eight starts over distances ranging from 1,020m to 1,200m. His career includes a win in a Class 3 race at 1,020m on April 25 and a disappointing run down the field in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1,200m) on March 29 [1, 2]. Woodworth has ridden Mega Ace six times, delivering five wins [1, 2].
Trainer Simon Dunderdale said, "He is the best three-year-old in the country and proved that today. He will now be set for the 3YO (Sprint) Championship" [1]. Dunderdale is targeting the upcoming sprint championship, which is limited to three-year-olds, despite Woodworth’s concern about the horse’s stamina over 1,200m [2].
Woodworth may miss riding Mega Ace in the sprint championship due to a suspension arising from an unrelated race on Flying Nemo, potentially forcing Mega Ace to race with a different jockey [1, 2].
After the June 14 3YO Sprint Championship, Mega Ace’s next planned race is the 3YO Mile Championship (1,600m) on July 19, a distance the horse has not yet tried [1, 2].