3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Fenwick Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 2200m - Track Good
Time: 2:18.79 Standard Time: 2:17.50 Course/Class record: 1:15.87 Sky Gem
It was a relatively slow start to the night as GOLDEN FAIRY (NZ 5yo g Burgundy – Steal) proved too good over the staying trip. The five-year-old jumped well and rolled forward from barrier 6, getting across prior to the first turn and settling on the back of the leader. The pace was okay early, but gradually slowed through the middle stages despite the leaders holding a gap on the rest of the field. Alex Badel got away from the inside as they worked down the back straight, getting into the one-out-one-back position as the racing began to ramp up once again. He moved into the race well around the turn and although he didn't have the turn of foot to go with the leader, he whacked away to peg back the margin. He moved up to stick his nose in front with 50m left to run and held off his rivals to score by a neck on the line. HAPPYY HERO jumped on terms but slid back from the draw to settle in the back half of the field for Karis Teetan. He was 8-1/2 lengths off the lead with 800m remaining and the Mauritian hoop didn't appear in a hurry at that stage. Teetan began getting to work on the gelding around 500m from home, swinging wider on the course to keep the momentum up. He made a strong run down the middle of the track to challenge for the win, but just ran out of time to stick his nose in front. LOYAL AMBITION sat just off the leader throughout in second position, racing prominently and putting in a strong kick turning for home. He broke clear from the chasing pack early in the straight but was eventually wound in by Golden Fairy late in the race. He just missed out on second in a photo finish but did appear to have every chance under Brenton Avdulla.
Race 2 – Fleming Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.85 Standard Time: 1:10.05 Course/Class record: 1:09.17 Alloy King
Hugh Bowman was the next jockey to strike, running on strongly to salute aboard HERCULES (AUS 8yo g Medaglia d'Oro – Soul Mama) for his first win since September 2022. The gelding was a touch slow into stride from out wide and was in the back half of the field for Bowman. He raced three-wide with cover down the back straight and the Australian hoop improved his position to be midfield turning off the back. The field was compact
around the home turn and Bowman wasn't too far off the lead as he made his run around the turn. He ran to the lead with 100m to run but was being challenged on his outside throughout. The gelding dug deep over the concluding stages to hold off his rival and win by a short head on the line in a gutsy victory. HARMONY N HOME was also a little slow into stride and Angus Chung went back to last place on settling down. He remained at the tail throughout the middle stages before tacking onto the back of the eventual winner around the home turn. He was the widest runner in the straight and made his run next to Hercules in the straight. The ran to the lead together, but Chung just couldn't lift his mount over the line, going down narrowly after jumping a $35 chance. DOUBLE SHOW had to be urged along to hold his position off an inside barrier and ended up in a midfield position in the run. Karis Teetan was needed some luck with plenty of runners in front of him, but the Mauritian was able to work his way through the traffic and into the clear. He was passed by the winner 200m from home, but hung in there as he ran to the line for third.
Race 3 – Jaffe Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.12 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
"Hong Kong Hughie" quickly made it a winning double on the night as he guided home TELECOM SPEED (AUS 6yo g Street Boss – Chinchilla) for the Me Tsui barn. The sice-year-old was one of the first out of the barriers, though Bowman wasn't too keen to lead on the galloper as he looked to slot in midfield. The Australian was able to do so around the first turn and enjoyed a comfortable run through the middle stages, sitting just off the pace. He began to work into the race ominously from the 400m point and ambled up to the leaders at the top of the straight under a good hold. He let rip when Bowman asked for an effort, putting the race away in a matter of strides and scoring a very impressive win by 3-1/4 lengths. YEABOI snagged back to the rear of the field from barrier 8 and raced in second-last position throughout. Chadwick was urging the gelding a long way from home, but he continued was able to tack onto the back of the pack and sustain he run around the turn. He was doing his best work in the final 100m as he ran on down the outside, closing off strongly to finish in second position in his best run for some time. GALLANT VALOUR jumped the race favourite for Purton and settled a little worse than midfield in the run. He was hampered a touch when Jerry Chau fell around the first turn, but not enough to be a genuine excuse. Purton got onto the back of the eventual winner through the middle stages and tracked him around the turn but couldn't match motors when it mattered most. He only plugged away down the stretch to end up in third, 3-1/2 lengths off the winner.
Race 4 – The Hong Kong Football Club Centenary Cup (Handicap), HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good
Time: 57.75 Standard Time: 57.00 Course/Class record: 56.39 Gentle Breeze
The tough night for favourite punters continued with the first 4 races taken out by double figure chances, as CIRCUIT SEVEN (AUS 6yo g Deep Field – Flamboyant lass) got there right on the wire. He wasn't the fastest away for Matthew Poon but slotted into a handy position along the rail, racing about midfield. The field was bunched in the run, with Poon only able to get away from the inside once into the straight. The local hoop tried to forced his way out, but had to duck back to the inside as a gap appeared between runners. He burst through with 50m left to run, stuck his nose in front and got the job done in a great ride by the "Poon Train" winning by a head on the line. HARMONY FIRE jumped well from out wide and worked across under his own steam to take up the running for Hugh Bowman. The Australian stacked the field up turning off the back straight before quickening again with 400m left to run. He had a wall of runners chasing him right down the straight, and was still in front only 20-odd metres from the finish, but Circuit Seven drove up the inside right on the line to steal the victory. He held off OVERSUBSCRIBED in a photo finish, with Alexis Badel giving his mount a beautiful run in transit. The race was there for him to win if good enough, but he couldn't stick his nose in front at any stage, with only a photo finish able to split he and Harmony Fire for the minor placings.
Race 5 – Luard Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:41.32 Standard Time: 1:40.05 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
Race five saw a winning treble go the way of Hugh Bowman, as he steered home NOBLE PURSUIT (NZ 4yo g Savabeel – Okahu bay) for the second win of his career. After getting away well, the Jamie Richards-trained runner worked across to land in a great spot just off the speed. The pace was moderate throughout with Bowman creeping closer down the back straight, before beginning to make his move with 400m remaining. He peeled three-wide turning for home with the gelding taking a little while to work through his gears. He was at full throttle though with 150m remaining as he took control of the race, running clear of his competitors to win by 1-1/4 lengths in very comfortable fashion. SURE JOYFUL was taken back behind runners right after the start and slotted into the running line as they worked around the first turn. He raced comfortably throughout, and Poon began to make his challenge 450m from home as he swung wide and began to build momentum. He was out near the middle of the track on straightening but was closing off well to run into second position. He may have been peaking on the run late but he was strong enough to keep his nose in front for second. ATOMIC BEAUTY was given an absolute peach of a ride by Harry Bentley, getting across to land on the speed. With the pace only moderate, the
Englishman moved up to challenge the leader turning off the back and eventually took over as they swung for home. He couldn't match it with the winner who blew right by him at the 150m point, but he plugged away to hold on for third.
Race 6 – Jaffe Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:11.24 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
The win of HAPPY GOLF (AUS 5yo g Manhattan Rain – Testa The Water) brought up a four-timer for Bowman, with the gelding getting the job done in a tight finish. After getting away on terms, the pair settled about midfield with the gelding a touch keen early on. The pace was only moderate, and the field was bunched behind the leader, with the five-year-old travelling superbly heading into the straight. The leader skipped away turning for home, but the gelding got stuck into his work brilliantly once Bowman asked for an effort. He was racing a touch greenly under pressure, but once the Australian straightened him up with 50m to run, he surged home to stick his nose in front right on the line to win in a photo finish. ALLOY KING was one of the first into stride and worked across from the wide draw and took up the running. Keith Yeung was able to do as he pleased out in front, stacking the field up down the back before kicking away and leaving the field in a cloud of dust at the top of the straight. He was over two lengths in front with 150m left to run but he was beginning to tire over the closing stages. He tried to hang on but was nabbed right on the post by Happy Golf who got up in the final bound. COUNTRY DANCER enjoyed a cosy run just off the speed for Antoine Hamelin and ran on in the straight as if he was the winner. He came through between Alloy King and Happy Golf, but just couldn't stick his beak out far enough as he ended up going down by a short head in a close three-way finish.
Race 7 – Lockhart Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.27 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
NICCONI COUNTY (AUS 5yo g Nicconi – County Mayo) made it a winning double on the night for Caspar Fownes, scoring narrowly under the guidance of Karis Teetan. He was away only fairly from a middle alley and settled in a midfield position around the first turn. Teetan stayed away from the rail down the back before sneaking up the inside of runners as they turned off the back straight. He moved into the race nicely from the 400m point
but was held up slightly at the top of the straight. The didn't matter though as he sprinted strongly to take the lead with 150m remaining. He got his nose in front but he had to fight it out for the victory, holding on gamely late in the race to win by a short head on the line. HARMONY N BLESSED enjoyed a nice run in behind the leading division for Derek Leung. He peeled wide turning for home and made his run with the eventual winner in the straight. He wouldn't go away once Nicconi County stuck his nose in front, fighting tooth and nail to the wire, but he was unable to wrestle back the advantage and had to settle for second. JUMBO FORTUNE sprinted home from a mile back for Antoine Hamelin and Pierre Ng. He was a whopping 9-1/4 lengths off the lead with 400m remaining and was only beaten three-quarters of-a-length on the line.
Race 8 – Lockhart Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.72 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
Karis Teetan made it a race-to-race double as TOMODACHI KOKOROE (AUS 5yo g Written Tycoon – Rainbeam) returned to winning ways. He jumped well from out wide and teetan rolled across from out wide, slotting into the one-out-one-back position. The pace was strong and the field was stretched right out down the back straight, with the son of Written Tycoon enjoying a lovely run through the middle stages. Teetan waited patiently before peeling three-wide turning for home. He lengthened nicely out wide as he mowed down the leader inside the final 100m and pulled away for a very impressive victory, winning by 1-1/2 lengths in very impressive style. BEAUTY WAVES jumped the odds-on favourite and rolled straight to the front from a favourable alley for Zac Purton. The tempo was good throughout, but Purton was left alone out in front and not pressured by his rivals. He looked to be travelling strongly turning for home as he railed like a greyhound, still being over a length in front with 150m remaining. He was no match for the winner as he gave Beauty Waves windburn going by, but he stuck on fairly to finish a clear second. RIGHTEOUS ARION came from a long way back in the run to finish third for Angus Chung in a very eye-catching effort.
Race 9 – O'Brien Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.05 Standard Time: 1:39.85 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
SIMPLY MAVERICK (AUS 4yo g Sebring – Papillon Rouge) made it back-to-back wins with another impressive display. The race favourite was caught three-wide early, unable to slot into the running line, but he did have cover out wide. The pace was very moderate through the first half of the race and Andrea Atzeni was able to improve his position with ease, maintaining cover throughout. He was left facing the beeze 500m from home, but he didn't panic as he kept the gelding in clear air turning for home and allowed him to work through his gears. He quickened impressively to take the lead with a furlong to ho and pulled away from his rivals for an impressive 1-3/4 length victory. RED HARE KING was another who rose in class off a last start win and rolled forward from gate 5 to put himself on the speed. Lyle Hewitson had the gelding travelling comfortably through the opening and middle stages despite the moderate tempo being set. He eased back to be one-out-one-back at the halfway point with runners from out wide crossing to join the leaders. Hewitson waited patiently with cover, popping out at the top of the straight to make his run. He was passed by the winner with 150m to run, but he stuck on well to hold on for second in a photo finish. TURIN MASCOT was closing off strongly from back in the pack after following Simply Maverick into the race. He was the widest runner on straightening and was doing his best work late in the race. He'll appreciate a stronger tempo at his future outings, but that was a positive sign from the flashy grey moving forward
