Mr Malek fresh for comeback
Prolific sprinter looks too good in Kranji Stakes A
After Kranji's sensational sprinter-miler Inferno, Mr Malek is probably next in line on the horse-of-the-moment list.
His record speaks for itself - nine starts for six wins, a second and two thirds.
So, against only Kranji Stakes A opponents over 1,400m in Race 7 on Sunday, the 91-rated Mr Malek should return to the winning list after a short break.
One may argue that he is rated below Jupiter Gold (102), Fame Star (98) and Preditor (92), but the trio's recent form is anything but inspiring.
Jupiter Gold resumed from a 20-month layoff on Nov 15, but there was no spark in that run. He beat only two home.
Fame Star has been struggling to regain his form since scoring his eighth success on Feb 15. His recent trial win was good though. Whether he can bring it to the race is left to be seen.
Preditor ran a good second in his penultimate start over 1,400m to have a go at the $1 million Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup but he was never in the hunt. He beat only two home.
He is coming back from 2,000m to 1,400m, which is generally not good.
With his five lower-rated rivals above-average at best, Mr Malek has the potential for the future feature races.
His come-from-behind second to Inferno last start in the Group 1 Lion City Cup over 1,200m was a top effort.
Inferno was the fastest Lion City Cup winner with his sizzling time of 1min 08.28sec.
Mr Malek was rested after that Oct 25th run and has picked up steadily in his preparation for Sunday's assignment. His second placing in last week's trial suggests that he is ready to bounce back to the winning list.
His task is helped by a handy 55kg handicap and a nice barrier (Gate 6).
Last-start Group 2 EW Barker Trophy winner Nepean is maintaining form, but he has leg issues and needs a yielding track to be effective.
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