Banker’s First captured the RM100,000 Perak Turf Club Community Shield (1,200m) at Ipoh on May 31, winning by seven lengths and setting a new course record of 1:08.41, smashing the previous mark set by Jeram in 2005 [1, 2, 3].
The five-year-old former Australian galloper trained by Tiang Kim Choi was ridden by jockey Nuqman Rozi for the first time in the race. Banker’s First settled behind the leaders before taking control at the 200m mark and cruising to an easy victory on the long course [1, 2, 3].
Prior to this, Banker’s First had his Malaysian debut win on April 12 in a Class 3 1,200m race and followed with a second-place finish on May 10 in a Metro A 1,200m event. The Perak Turf Club race marked his first outing in Ipoh after two runs in Kuala Lumpur [1, 2, 3].
Trainer Tiang Kim Choi praised the horse’s performance and resilience. He noted that Banker’s First recovered quickly from a stone bruise injury sustained on his off-fore after his last race, allowing him to run a barrier trial on May 26. Tiang said, "I think he’s a very, very good horse. He even broke the course record today, which was impressive ... He will take a small break, and I will look at feature races up to 1,400m. Hopefully, he can win more races, including Cup races for me" [1].
On the same racecard, Tiang and jockey Nuqman Rozi also won with Banker’s Good in an Open Maiden (1,400m) and Super Manjung in a Class 5B 1,000m race. Banker’s Good finally recorded his first win after 10 starts, following five placings, while Super Manjung, a seven-year-old former Singapore galloper, notched her third win for Tiang after moving to Malaysia late last year. Tiang said of Banker’s Good’s victory, "It’s good to see her win after so long" [1, 2, 3].
Banker’s First is owned by Banker’s Stable and has now posted a Malaysian record comprising one win and one second prior to the Community Shield triumph [1, 2, 3]. His new course record time of 1:08.41 for the 1,200m surpasses the previous standard set in 2005.
Following his Community Shield win, Banker’s First will take a short break before Tiang assesses upcoming feature race opportunities at distances up to 1,400m [1].