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Antipodean, last year’s top three-year-old who swept all before him, will be aiming to dominate the four-year-old series this season as well, starting with the RM200,000 Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship (1200m) at Sungai Besi on Sunday.

The son of Derryn won nine of his 10 starts last season, including the 3YO Pacific Cup (1200m) and the New Zealand Bloodstock Three-Year-Old Trophy (1400m).

To further demonstrate his star quality, Antipodean  went on to capture the Group 1 Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) and the Sports Toto Supreme Challenge Cup (1400m) against all-comers.

Antipodean began his campaign this season under a new trainer – Tiang Kim Choi – with three consecutive placings, including a third in the Chinese New Year Prosperity Trophy (1600m) and second in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup (1200m) before finding his winning form again in a Supreme A race over 1400m on Apr 5.

He was on the road for the first time two weeks ago, heading to Penang for the RM250,000 Penang Turf Club Farewell Trophy (1300m).

Antipodean bombed at the start and was never seen with a chance after that, finishing eighth to Super Salute. That run should best be discarded.

Back on his home ground, Antipodean should be a different proposition especially with Wong Chin Chuen flying in from Seoul where he is currently based. Wong made a cameo appearance last October to win the Sports Toto race and again in March when the pair went down to Noah Khan in the Tunku Gold Cup.

His rating of 103 is 13 points higher than the next horse in the line-up but nothing is certain in a age-group race and there are several runners who are capable of stealing a victory from him.

Pacific Victory, a winner in Class 4 and 5 in Singapore, has improved by leaps and bounds since crossing over to Malaysia, with five wins, three seconds and a fourth to show in as many starts.

The son of Rubick easily accounted for Big Union in a Metro A race over 1020m on the No. 2 track two weeks ago. The two will clash again for the third time this season.

Big Union , who has been placed in three times in six starts since coming over from Singapore, also lost out (finishing third) to Pacific Victory in a 1200m sprint on Mar 16 but the former has impressed in trackwork during the week.

Valois  has stormed right into the picture for the Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship after coming from well off the pace to nail Filial Dragon on his Malaysian debut in a Class 3 – 1200m handicap two weeks ago.

The son of Under The Louvre came over from Australia with a good record Down Under.

Valois won his only run at two and was placed in six of eight starts at three, winning at Mornington and had placings at Flemington, Caulfield and Sandown.

Turning four, he was placed in four of his five starts, winning again in a Benchmark 64 race at Sandown. He has the class to pull it off on Sunday and trainer Simon Dunderdale has once again called on the services of Blaike McDougall who was here two weeks ago for the Three-Year-Old Sprint Championship (1200m).

Honesty and Thunderous have also caught the eye after coming over from Australia.

Honesty won once in six starts Down Under and the Per Incanto gelding has scored three times in four starts in Malaysia including a double in Class 3 in April and May.

Thunderous had a win and three placings in 10 starts in Australia but has galloped right into the reckoning by winning his last two starts in Open Novice and Max 2.

Besides Pacific Vicrtory and Big Union, several other former Singapore gallopers are also staking a claim in the Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship.

There is no holding back Stop The Water in Malaysia. With three wins and two seconds in as many starts, the Headwater gelding cannot be ruled out given that he finished second to Pacific Vampire in a Supreme A event over 1100m last month.

Eruption, winner two races at Kranji, has two wins and two seconds in five runs since coming over and he has caught the eyes on the track this week.

War Star, who scored six times up to Class 4 at Kranji, has so far two wins and two placings in five outings.

Pacific Commander will backing up just eight days after finishing second to Filial Dragon in a Class 3 – 1400m handicap. He had earlier scored twice in five runs since crossing over from Singapore where he managed three wins in Class 4 and 5.

But the former Singapore galloper who has really caught the imagination of Malaysian racegoers is Red Dragonfly.

Placed just once in 20 runs at Kranji, the Rubick gelding was unbeaten in his first five runs in the country and has added one more victory from his subsequent three runs. But coming up against Antipodean is another matter altogether.

Do keep an eye on Leinao, who has a very handy 52.5kg in the weights.

The Irish gelding by Kodiac won one of five runs at two and had a win and two placings in seven outings at three in England.

Leiniao has have the benefit of three starts under his belt and his last start fourth (coming from a long way back) to Sacred Buddy in the Penang Turf Club Memorial Trophy (1100m) was particularly pleasing.

Singapore trainer Mahadi Taib has created a good impression winning with his first two runners in the country and Leiniao cannot be taken lightly.

The Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship on Sunday is perhaps Antipodean's to lose.

Just two weeks ago, "Duma" was the buzz word in the Three-Year-Old Sprint Championship. But up popped Elite Prince to steal the thunder from him. Is there a bully in the pack this Sunday?