3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Mercury Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 2200m - Track Good
Time: 2:16.58 Standard Time: 2:16.50 Course/Class record: 2:14.14 Vincy
Former Australian INTREPID WINNER (AUS 6yo g Fastnet Rock – Soubrettes) got things underway for Keagan De Melo and Michael Chang. De Melo took the six-year-old back from the draw right after the jump, settling at the tail of the field. The pace slowed through as they approached the halfway point, but a mid-race move injected the pace back into the event. De Melo was still last as they turned off the back with plenty of rivals already feeling the pinch with 600m to run. De Melo tried to weave his way through the traffic rather than swing wide, getting into the clear with about 200m to run and taking the lead with 100m to run. He was too strong to the line, scoring by a half-length. NATURAL STORM had settled back in the run alongside the eventual winner and remained there for the majority of the event. Passing the 800m point, James McDonald moved wide on the course as they worked around the home turn, trying to get the gelding into the race. He was the widest on straightening but did keep grinding away down the outside. The winner came up along the inside and Natural Storm was unable to fight back, going down on the line. TURIN MASCOT jumped the favourite of the race and although he was no match for the winner, he stuck on well to finish in third.
Race 2 – Venus Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.70 Standard Time: 1:10.05 Course/Class record: 1:09.17 Alloy King
Andrea Atzeni picked up his 15th winner of this term, steering the Cody Mo-trained CRYSTAL POWERFUL (AUS 4yo g Exceed And Excel – Vicennalia) to victory. The gelding got away on terms but showed little early speed despite being ridden along by Atzeni, settling midfield as they worked down the back straight. The speed was good, and the Sicilian found himself in a handy position away from the rail as he began to work into the race a approaching the home turn. He gave the four-year-old every chance at the top of the straight, being the widest on straightening as the gelding let down strongly down the centre of the course. He took over with 50m to run and drew clear in the shadows of the post, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths in an impressive win. CIRCUIT SPLENDOR had sat just off the leader in the run with a good tempo being set up front. After following him for much of the race, Keith Yeung peeled off the leader's beck turning for home and looked to have a strong hole of his mount at the top of the straight. He put in a good kick to keep his rivals at bay when asked for an effort but was unable to hold off the fast-finishing winner. He clung on close to the line to hold on for second place. HAPPILY FRIENDS had worked across from a sticky alley to land on the outside of Circuit Splendor in the run, sitting close to the speed for Zac Purton. He enjoyed a good run in transit and Purton pulled him into the clear at the top of the straight, giving him every chance if he was good enough. The gelding kept on well to the line, finishing in third spot after getting the nod in a photo finish. Race favourite Fighting Star finished 3 lengths off the winner in fifth.
Race 3 – Mars Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.69 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
James McDonald and Jamie Richards teamed up to win race three as GALLANT VALOUR (AUS 3yo g Heroic Valour – Lassila) justified favouritism. The three-year-old got away on terms and rolled forward under McDonald to settle in fourth position, racing on the back of the leader on settling down. He enjoyed a comfortably run throughout McDonald crept closer and closer in the run, being right on the leader's tails as they turned into the home straight. The Kiwi hoop forced his way into the clear at the top of the straight and the gelding quickened well, taking the lead with 150m left to run. He was forced to stave off a challenger out wide, but he did so with ease, almost pulling away on the line to win by a half-length to notch up his maiden victory. SUPER EAGLE was eased back from the wide draw shortly after the jump, settling near the tail of the field as they worked down the back. As they turned off the back, Karis Teetan moved three-wide and began to improve around the field, building up the revs as they swung into the straight. He quickened well down the outside and took it right up to the winner but lacked the knockout punch. COPARTNER PRANCE rushed forward from and outside barrier to sit up on the pace but was left racing three-wide and without cover. The pace wasn't overly strong, and he began to creep closer as they approached the home turn. Despite Keagan De Melo's best efforts, the gelding didn't really handle the Happy Valley turn, ending up near the centre of the track in the run to the line. He stuck on gamely after his wide run to finish n third spot.
Race 4 – Jupiter Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good
Time: 57.46 Standard Time: 57.00 Course/Class record: 56.39 Gentle Breeze
Angus Chung notched up his first winner since returning from suspension, guiding home the Pierre Ng-trained LIFE IS GOOD (FR 4yo g Zelzal – Ascot Glory). After getting away on terms, Chung allowed the gelding to find his feet settling in the back half of the field as they sorted their order out. Turning off the back, the local apprentice was able to slide into a more midfield position, with the gelding travelling well around the home turn and into the straight. The gap appeared for Chung, and he went straight through it, taking his mount down the centre of the course to hit the front with 100m to run. He was a little wayward under pressure, but he did enough right close to the line to win by 1-1/2 lengths in a very nice victory. LUCKY QUALITY was taken back toward the rear of the field and never looked to be travelling comfortably with Alfred Chan already using the whip 500m from the finish. He did eventually pick up under the hard riding though and made a sustained run right down the outside. He was the widest runner in the straight, running past all bar one of his rivals to claim second position. SAVVY DELIGHT raced wide throughout but did have cover in the run. Zac Purton didn't swing wide, instead trying to weave a passage through the traffic. He got out into the clear late and hit the line nicely to finish in third position. Race favourite Diamond Soars was very disappointing, finishing in 10th place with no obvious abnormalities found in a post-race veterinary examination.
Race 5 – Saturn Handicap, HK $3,120,000
Class 2 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:41.23 Standard Time: 1:39.20 Course/Class record: 1:37.97 Tsar
The Class 2 event on the night went the way of Frankie Lor who continues to try and turn his season around, getting the win with HAPPY TOGETHER (IRE 4yo g Dragon Pulse – Ruby Girl). The gelding jumped well from a middle gate and Alex Badel was able to roll forward and land in the one-out-one-back position. The pace was very slow and there was no change to the order until the halfway stage where a mid-race move came. That put a touch more pace into the race around the home turn, but Badel was still only 2-1/4 lengths off the leader as they swung into the straight. The Frenchman built good momentum heading into the straight and lengthened nicely down the middle of the track to stick his nose in front with 100m to run. He drew away in the run to the line, scoring by three-quarters of-a-length on the line. GALAXY WITNESS was squeezed out at the start and settled at the rear of the field for Vincent Ho. Unhappy with the slow tempo, Ho took off down the back straight, circling the field to take up the running as they turned off the back straight. He kicked nicely when asked for an effort and put a gap on most of his rivals, except for the winner who emerged out of the pack to take the lead with 100m to run. He couldn't peg back the margin, finishing in second but was over a length clear of third. CHILL CHIBI pressed forward from the gate to settle outside the leader as they sorted their order out. He was probably left a little flat-footed when the sprint went on, but he was coming again close to the line, holding on to third position.
Race 6 – Uranus Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:41.59 Standard Time: 1:40.05 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
Zac Purton brought up his first win of the night, and Jamie Richards' second as TO INFINITY (NZ 5yo g Darci Brahma – Italic) got the job done. The five-year-old jumped well and settled in a midfield position as they sorted their order out with only a moderate tempo being set through the early stages of the race. With the moderate tempo, a move came down the back straight which prompted the pace to quicken a touch, with Purton now a little worse than midfield turning off the back. The champion hoop began to improve his position approaching the 400m point and got out into the clear with plenty of time to chase down the leader. The gelding put his nose in front with 50m to run and held off his rivals to score by a neck on the line. RED HARE KING pressed on from a wide draw from the jump to sit on the outside of the leader heading around the first turn. Lyle Hewitson enjoyed a cosy run up front as the leaders dictated the race through the first 800m. Hewitson eventually rolled forward to take the lead with 600m to run and was travelling very well heading into the home straight as he led by over a length. He was sticking on well out in front and put in a good fight once his rivals ranged up to him but couldn't fight back late in the race as he went down on the line. SIMPLY MAVERICK got a long way back in the run and looked to leave things a little too late under Andrea Atzeni. He was finishing full of running but couldn't quicken like his rivals, doing his best work close to the line as he flashed home to be beaten just a half-length after jumping the $2 favourite.
Race 7 – Mars Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.32 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
Karis Teetan and Benno Yung combined in race number seven as EASY SNIP (AUS 6yo g Snippetson – Derring) capitalised on his good form so far this season. He was one of the first horses out of the barriers as they opened, but Teetan wasn't all that keen on leading, eventually landing midfield and along the rail with a solid tempo being set up front. Teetan was able to pinch runs up the inside around the home turn and stuck close to the inside as they turned for the finish. Without going around a rival, the six-year-old took the lead with 150m to run and drew away over the closing stages, winning comfortably by a length on the line. JUMBO LEGEND was a little slowly away from the inside barrier and was ridden along to hold his position approaching the first turn, finding the back of the eventual winner as they settled into stride. Vincent Ho tracked Easy Snip throughout the race as he was hemmed up along the inside but commenced a move wider as they turned into the straight. Ho got out beyond the middle of the track in the straight where the gelding flashed home to run second, but he was unable to wind in the gap that the winner had put on him turning for home. BEAUTY INFINITY had raced three-wide with cover throughout and made a strong run down the outside of the field to claim third.
Race 8 – Neptune Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.81 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
HEALTHY HEALTHY (NZ 4yo g Per Incanto – Spritz) notched up his third in in four starts this season and secured Pierre Ng a double on the night. The four-year-old landed in a handy spot from barrier four with Alex Badel just forward of a midfield spot on settling down. The pace was good, and the French hoop had plenty of backs to follow as they turned for home. Things worked out brilliantly for the son of Per Incanto, with the seas parting and Badel never really having to veer off course, running down the centre of the track to take the lead with 100m to run. He was too strong over the closing stages with the big fellow going on to give punters a winning end to the night, with the final favourite scoring by 1-1/2 lengths. O'LINER jumped quickly and rolled to the front under Zac Purton, holding the lead from his inside barrier around the first turn and down the back. He was racing keenly in front with Purton trying to restrain the gelding a touch, but he did break clear from his rivals as they swung into the straight. He quickened well at the top of the stretch but felt the pinch late, tiring to finish in second position, but holding on to third by a half-length. LIGHTNING BOLT had settled in the back half of the field under Jerry Chau and looked in a spot of bother 400m from the finish. Chau was able to slice his way through the pack and dart back to the inside for clear running over the closing stages, with the gelding closing off well to finish in third position.
