After making a comeback to Malaysian racing in mid-April, trainer Shane Ellis saddled his first winner when Mr Hanks won the Class 4b Handicap over 1100m at Selangor on Sunday.
The Australian trainer, who previously served as an assistant trainer to the late Laurie Laxon in Singapore before being granted stabling facilities at Selangor Turf Club in June 2018, where he trained in his own right, decided to take a break and return to Perth in 2020. “I left because of Covid, and my father actually got cancer back in Perth. So I went back to help look after him and worked for my old boss, Neville Parnham,” said Ellis. “My dad has recovered thankfully, and the longing to be my own boss brought me back here (Malaysia).”
With just two horses under Ellis’ care as he rebuilds, it was fitting that Mr Hanks scored his comeback win. “It’s great to win with that little horse because I have been with him since he was a two-year-old in Singapore, first with (Laurie) Laxon and then James Peters,” he said.
