3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Back to the 'City Circuit' for Wednesday Night action, which was dominated by Angus Chung and Douglas Whyte, both securing three wins on the night. Me Tsui also chimed in with a winning double of his own.
Race 1 – Bedford Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good
Time: 57.80 Standard Time: 57.15 Course/Class record: 56.52 Shanghai Power
Luke Ferraris and Douglas Whyte got things underway with THE GOOD DEAL (AUS 6yo g Deep Field – Prinny's Girl) who scored comfortably. He jumped well from gate four and rolled across to sit in the one-out-one-back position. The gelding enjoyed a lovely run in transit and peeled three-wide turning for home. He kept on well out wider on the course to hit the front with 100m to run and showed plenty of strength to get away from his rivals to score by a length. Race favourite VALHALLA had a dream run on the back of the leader throughout. Brenton Avdulla had plenty of space to come through underneath rivals and had his chance to win if he was good enough. He just found one better on the day. MULTIMORE pressed on from out wide to sit on the outside of the leader on settling down and just ran out of steam late under Purton, holding on for third in a photo finish.
Race 2 – Cheung Shun Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1800m - Track Good
Time: 1:50.92 Standard Time: 1:49.75 Course/Class record: 1:48.33 Success Allstars
Karis Teetan threw everything he had at FORTUNE TRIPLE (IRE 6yo g Lope De Vega – Kerry Gal) to lift him over the line for a narrow victory. The gelding jumped well and landed midfield, sitting one off the fence for Teetan as the field sorted their order out. The pace was only moderate through the middle stages which prompted the Mauritian hoop to make a move around the field with 500m remaining. Teetan was hard at work aboard the six-year-old as he shot around the field to take the lead with a furlong to run. He had to fend off a more fancied runner right to the line, but the gelding showed his strength as he just kept chugging along to score by a short head on the line. SUNNY BABY had the back of Fortune Triple throughout the race but just couldn't get past him in the straight. TURTLE
AGAIN was last on the turn for home but rattled home over the close stages from right under the grandstand in a very eye-catching effort.
Race 3 – Cheong Wan Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 56.75 Standard Time: 56.60 Course/Class record: 55.85 Stoltz
Douglas Whyte brought up an early double as MAJESTIC KNIGHT (AUS 5yo g Redoute's Choice – Negotiate) proved far too good for his rivals. He was smartly away from barrier four and went up to sit outside the leader on settling down. Angus Chung had a good grip on the gelding as they worked around the home turn, moving up to head the leader at the top of the straight before the gelding kicked clear when asked for an effort. It was all over at the 150m point as the five-year-old bolted in by 3-1/2 lengths. HUMBLE STAR settled on the back of the eventual winner throughout the race and made a move three-wide approaching the home turn to give himself every chance. He was no match for the winner, but held on to run second, holding off the fast-finishing EXPLOSIVE WITNESS.
Race 4 – The Chinese General Chamber Of Commerce Cup (Handicap), HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.78 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
Angus Chung and Douglas Whyte combined yet again in the fourth, teaming up with ZOOM BOOM (IRE 5yo g Awtaad – Gabardine). The gelding was only fairly into stride but was able to settle in a midfield position thanks to the inside draw. He was running up on heels with 400m to go as Chung continued to look for paths through the traffic, but was forced back to the inside on straightening. The gelding laid in under pressure and Chung was forced to straighten him up, but he didn't lose too much momentum as he hit the line locked together with SIGHT HERO. It was a close finish, but Zoom Boom got the nod in the photo, scoring by a nose on the line. SIGHT HERO looked home and hosed midway down the straight, rounding up his rivals and seemingly hitting the lead with 100m to run. He was denied right on the wire by Zoom Boom, but lost no admirers in his narrow defeat. SPEEDSTAR pulled to the middle of the track at the top of the stretch and ran on strongly to finish in the placings, but couldn't go with the first two across the line.
Race 5 – Fat Tseung Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:41.21 Standard Time: 1:40.05 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
Me Tsui was the next trainer to bring up a winning double with FORTUNE PRESIDENT (AUS 5yo g More Than Ready – I'm Your Venus) turning over the odds-on favourite. Matthew Chadwick didn't have much pace out of the barriers and steered the gelding down to the inside, settling in the back half of the field as they worked out of the straight. The pace was good through the first half of the event before the field stacked up approaching the 600m point. There was no change to the order and Chadwick was still biding his time near the back, finally getting to work on the gelding approaching the 400m point as he dodged tiring runners. The local hoop pushed his way into the clear at the top of the straight and set out after the leader. He took the lead inside the final 50m and won rather comfortably in the end, with the official margin being a neck. TURIN WARRIOR went around the odds-on favourite and was given every chance by Purton but just couldn't hold on close to the line. He was wandering about as he got tired, which may have cost him the race in the end. SURE JOYFUL ran home strongly from the tail of the field, quickening well right down the outside to finish in third in what was probably the run of the race.
Race 6 – Hing Wah Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.67 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
The Angus Chung show continued into race six as RIGHTEOUS ARION (AUS 4yo g Rich Enuff – Tranquil Harmony) got home for favourite punters. He jumped on terms but was caught wide and without cover throughout the race as Chung was unable to slot into the running line. Chung was forced to take his medicine as he settled just off the leaders through the middle stages before working around the outside on the home turn. The apprentice still had a good grip at the top of the straight but laid in a copped a bump early on. Despite the contact, he loomed up to take the lead with 200m to run and showed good strength to inch away from his rivals and score by a half-length. CHOICERUS enjoyed the run of the race on the back of the leader and peeled off his back at the top of the straight to get into clear air. He was part of that contact with the eventual winner, but wouldn't go away right down the straight. He couldn't peg back the margin, but hung right there with the winner right to the line. TATTENHAM was positioned right behind them in the run and stuck on well out beyond halfway, finishing in third.
Race 7 – Hing Wah Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:11.30 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
After being narrowly beaten earlier in the night, Karis Teetan went one better aboard WOOD ON FIRE (NZ 8yo g Per Incanto – Lutine Belle). The gelding pinged out of the barriers and worked forward from the middle alley to sit on the outside of the leader as they travelled down the back. The pace slowed once the field sorted their order out, allowing the gelding to catch his breath through the middle stages with the field packing up around the turn. Teetan was sitting patiently aboard the gelding as they turned for home, going up to join the leader in the straight. He eventually wore down the leader to take the lead with 100m to run and went on to score by a neck on the line. TELECOM SPIRIT pushed through underneath Wood On Fire to lead the field throughout and dictated the pace. The first two kicked away at the top of the straight, but he couldn't hold off the winner over the closing stages, finishing in second. YOUNG LIFE FOREVER darted underneath the two leaders turning for home but was unable to reel them in off a slow tempo, while the run of GOLDEN RISE- who finished fourth - must be mentioned.
Race 8 – Fife Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:40.28 Standard Time: 1:39.85 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
CHILL CHIBI (NZ 4yo g Wrote – My Amazing Cool) resumed a winner in his first run of the new season as he chewed up and spat out his rivals. Lyle Hewitson snicked the gelding back to last on settling down after being only fairly away from the outside barrier. The pace was good through the first part of the race though as the two leaders went at each other, leaving Hewitson 7-1/2 lengths off the lead at the 800m point. The South African moved along the inside rail, but the brakes were applied at the 600m point and he was forced to check off the heels of a runner falling back through the pack. With the field packed up turning for home, Hewitson stuck to the inside and the gelding showed a powerful turn of foot, surging through to take the lead inside the final 150m. He proved far too good for his rivals, booting clear and winning by 2-3/4 lengths in fine style. ESCAPE ROUTE also settled well back in the field for Brenton Avdulla, who decided to go around the field rather than the winner who snuck up the inside. He finished off strongly as the widest runner in the straight, finishing in second at big odds and holding out TOURBILLON PRINCE in a close three-way go for the minor placings.
Race 9 – Hing Yip Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.74 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
LUCKY ARCHANGEL (AUS 6yo g Deep Field – Chik Chik Boom) continued his winning streak, bringing up the hat-trick. He jumped well for Matthew Poon who urged him along early on to settle in the one-out-one-back position. The pace was only fair through the middle stages, but the six-year-old was in the perfect position despite being niggled at passing the 600m. He was all dressed up with nowhere to go heading into he straight, unable to get to the outside at the top of the stretch but Poon was able to direct the gelding back to the inside and into the clear. He shot through a gap to take the lead with 50m to run, scoring by a neck and bringing up his third win in-a-row. Angus Chung was looking for his fourth winner of the night aboard COLOURFUL EMPEROR who had pressed on from the wide draw to settle outside the leader. He stuck on gamely in the straight but couldn't fend off the winner who was too strong late in the race. TORONADO PHANTOM had settled on the back of the leader in running and crossed the line in third, showing how slow the tempo was mid-race as the first four in running were the first four across the line.
