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Trainer Moy’s smart Buffalo Stable-owned galloper looms as a threat in the 4YO races

Racegoers at Sungai Besi should be in for a treat when the Four-Year-Old Sprint Championship comes up on June 15.

Invariably, there will be a bully in the pack, as it has often been the case when such aged series are contested.

This year, the big boy in this feature over the 1,200m event appears to be Antipodean .

With a rating of 103 and 10 wins from 15 outings – that last one coming on April 5 – Antipodean should start as the logical favourite in the showcase event.

But the son of Derryn, who has recorded nine of his wins for Simon Dunderdale and only one for his current trainer, Tiang Kim Choi, might have his work cut out.

Emerging from the training track on the morning of June 10, a couple of runners threw down the gauntlet. They could be the ones out to spoil the party for Antipodean.

In particular, take note of Eruption  and Big Union .

Sure, they are both considered "lesser lights" on the big stage but, if allowed to throw in some punches, they both could do damage.

Eruption would have gone into the notebooks of many at trackside when he ran the 600m in 37.6sec, while Big Union did not put a hoof wrong when disposing of that same trip in an easy 40.6sec.

And, drawing a line through their recent showing in races, both have legitimate chances in that big race for four-year-olds.

Eruption boasts a stellar record for the first half of the 2025 season.

He won a 1,400m race on Jan 26 and he was again successful over that same trip on April 27.

Last time on May 18, when sent away as the raging favourite, the son of Xtravagant found one to beat in Pacific Warrior, who took the honours when winning by half a length.

Eruption has since trained on and, while the 1,200m might seem a tad short, his style of racing of staying close to the lead should see him involved in the finish.

Yes, Antipodean does seem like he is the one to beat. But, should the Lawson Moy-trained Eruption explode over the final furlong, we might just see fireworks.

As for Big Union, he is a huge chance in the contest coming up.

Indeed and right now, he must seem like gold dust to his trainer Jerome Tan and the Cat Racing Stable.

Big Union has been off the board just four times in his 16 outings at Kranji and now at the Selangor Turf Club.

Sure, he has yet to knock home a win in all of his six starts in Malaysia – but he has not been left stranded in any of those races.

Last time – on June 1 – and in a "high class" event, he went down fighting to Pacific Victory. A run earlier, on May 18, he ran fourth to the very exciting Pacific Vampire in a Supreme race over the 1,100m.

The son of Zoustar will enjoy the short and sharp 1,200m he has to cover on June 15, as three of his five career wins at Kranji were over this same trip.

He will give his rivals in the big sprint something to think about. So, keep him in your calculations.

Outside of that feature event, two runners entered for the Class 4 sprint over the 1,100m were also put through their paces on the training track.

They were War Dragon and Cheerful Baby.

War Dragon clocked a flashy 37.6sec for the 600m while Cheerful Baby went over that same trip in 38.2sec.

Forget the fact that War Dragon is a 10-year-old going on 11.

The son of Battle Paint still believes he is one of the young crowd and, when in the mood, he can still raise a pretty neat gallop.

We saw it three starts back on Feb 23 when he ran a half-length second to Legend Ninety Two.

It has been a long while since War Dragon, who is also prepared by Moy, last won a race but, on the strength of his work, he might be a good one to toss into those novelty bets.

As for Cheerful Baby, another Tan ward, he has been sparingly raced and the assignment coming up will be his second in 2025.

However, he has been to three trials and his last one on June 4 saw him finish third behind the winner Kim Legend.

His claim to fame must be the time he put together four wins in a row when racing at Kranji.

The son of Brazen Beau is not going to do that any time soon but, given his work on the training track, he could, in his next few runs, be capable of bringing home his first Malaysian pay cheque.