3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Sai Kung Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1800m - Track Good
Time: 1:51.27 Standard Time: 1:49.75 Course/Class record: 1:48.33 Success Allstars
Zac Purton got his night off to a winning start, getting PALACE PAL (NZ 6yo g Mongolian Khan – Dolce Bella) his maiden victory in Hong Kong on the back of a beautiful ride. The gelding got away on terms and after a bit of a squeeze midway down the straight, would settle in a midfield position for Purton. The tempo was very slow through the first half of the race which prompted Purton to get on his bike approaching the 800m point, moving around his rivals to take the lead with 600m to run. Purton would continue to push on and had a break of 1-3/4 lengths as they turned for home. It was a perfect ride by the champion hoop, with none of Palace Pal's rivals getting close to him in the straight, as the six-year-old went on to win by 2-1/4 lengths. LOYAL AMBITION had been on the outside of the leader in the run and was part of the reason for the slow tempo. He quickened well when the mid-race moves came and stuck on well turning for home. Karis Teetan was no match for the winner but fended off his nearest rival close to home to sneak into second position. COLOURFUL BARON was the main culprit for the slow tempo with Angus Chung trying to dictate proceedings from the front. He tried hard in the straight but couldn't fend off Loyal Ambition in the run to the line, ending up in third.
Race 2 – Tai Po Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:11.40 Standard Time: 1:10.05 Course/Class record: 1:09.17 Alloy King
TACTICAL COMMAND (NZ 4yo g Charm Spirit – Nomisma) was a little slow into stride, but the gelding was able to pick up under Luke Ferraris and muster into a handy position with the aid of an inside alley. The Mark Newnham-trained gelding was shuffled back into a midfield position down the back straight, with Ferraris sticking to the inside rail as the moved around the home turn. As the field fanned wide, the gaps opened up for Tactical Command as he slid through a gap early in the straight. Ge set out after the leader and chased him down inside the final 50m, overpowering the leader in the run to the line and scoring by a neck. MY INTELLIGENT was quickly into stride from a wide draw and had the speed to come across from the deep. After being caught three-wide through the first turn
and early in the back stretch, Hugh Bowman pressed on to get across and sit on the outside of the leader. He travelled strongly turning for home and kicked over a length clear at the top of the straight when Bowman asked for an effort. He was digging in close to the line and did prove tough to pass in the closing stages, but the winner was just too good on the day. MILLENNIUM FALCON rushed forward after the start and after being up front around the first turn, ended up sitting on the back of the leader through the middle stages. Harry Bentley was able to work his way off the inside and into the clear at the top of the straight and the gelding had every chance to make his presence felt is he was good enough. He ran well, but he was no match for the first couple.
Race 3 – Fanling Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good
Time: 57.82 Standard Time: 57.00 Course/Class record: 56.39 Gentle Breeze
It was a comfortable watch for backers of LEAN MASTER (GB 4yo g Havana Grey – Fair Maiden) who burst away to win comfortably on the line. The four-year-old was away well from a handy alley and although he didn't have the pace to match his rivals early, Harry Bentley put the gelding in a handy position midfield with the pace right on. A few in front of him were already beginning to tire around the home turn, with Bentley shoving his way between rivals early in the straight to set out after the leader. He levelled up to the front runner with 50m to run and proved far too strong in the closing stages, pulling away for an impressive 1-3/4 length victory. SUPER FAST DRAGON copped a couple of bumps after the start and ended up racing at the back of the field on settling down. Andrea Atzeni was able to stay out of trouble turning off the back as he moved three-wide and began working around the field coming up to the home turn. He was pushed extremely wide heading for home but made a superb run down the middle of the track to run into second place. He jumped the $4.80 favourite, but he was the most eye-catching run of the race. COLOURFUL PRINCE had to do plenty of work from the wide draw to get across and sit outside the leader as they headed off the back straight. The pace was strong throughout the event as the first two broke away from the rest of the pack. He stuck on well in the straight to take the lead with 150m remaining, but the chasing group were coming. He hit the wall with 50m to run and got very tired late, but he'd built enough of a gap to hold on for third position.
Race 4 – Sheung Shui Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:41.97 Standard Time: 1:40.05 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
There was a minor upset in the fourth as SAMARKAND (NZ 5yo g Mongolian Khan – Shimmy) brought up his third win of the season. After getting away well from a favourable alley, Jerry Chau allowed the race to unfold in front of him as he settled on the back of the leader. There was no change to the order through the first half of the race as Chau waited patiently, stalking the leaders throughout the event. The race began to change passing the 600m point when some mid-race moves came and approaching the home turn, Chau was locked up between runners with a lap full of horse. The local hoop just needed a way out, and that came at the furlong pole when he was able to improve between runners. He sprinted quickly once asked for an effort, taking the lead with 50m to run and getting a neck in front of his nearest danger. STURDY RUBY jumped the race favourite and punter's would've been rejoicing when Zac Purton found the one-out-one-back position shortly after the start. Purton was probably forced to show his hand a little earlier than he wanted to around the turn with a runner whipping up on his outside, but the gelding sprinted well to take the lead with 150m to run. He fought hard to fend off Samarkand late in the race, but after a beautiful run in transit, the winner just had too much in the tank. ATOMIC BEAUTY had sat outside the leader after showing good speed to get across from the wide draw early in the event. He stuck on well in the straight to run a clear third, with the two horse that had the leader's backs in running, the first two across the line.
Race 5 – The Rotary Centenary Challenge Cup (Handicap), HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.36 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
The win of RAGAING BLIZZARD (NZ 4yo g Per Incanto – Perfect Beat) saw Zac Purton bring up a winning double on the night. The gelding was well backed prior to the start, jumping an odds-on favourite. After beginning cleanly from barrier 3, Purton wasn't keen to press on and race up front with plenty of speed coming from the wide barriers. The middle stages saw the pace slow, with the Australian hoop moving into the one-out-one-back position as they approached the 600m point. Purton began to move into the race with 400m remaining, peeling three-wide and moving up on the outside of the leaders at the top of the straight. The progressive gelding took the lead with 200m to run and never looked back, with the leading growing bigger the longer the race went on. He went to the line an easy winner, justifying his $1.70 starting price to win by 2-1/2 lengths. POWER KOEPP was the first one out of the barriers for Hugh Bowman, but like Raging Blizzard, the pair weren't keen to be up front early in the race. As the event unfolded, Bowman settled midfield and along the rail with the gelding travelling well off the back straight and around the home turn. Bowman began to peel out approaching the home turn and had plenty of clear air to make his challenge, but he just bumped into a progressive galloper on the way
through. He may have been tiring late, but he held on to second comfortably. WINGS OF WAR was the eye-catcher of the race. After being last turning off the back, the flashy grey stormed right down the outside to run into third position.
Race 6 – Tsuen Wan Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:11.40 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
Jerry Chau also made it a double on the night as SUPER JOY N FUN (NZ 3yo g What's The Story – Citycenta) made every post a winner. After being a little slow into stride, the gelding mustered good speed to work to the front around the first turn. The three-year-old was racing keenly out in front, with Chau trying to get the gelding to relax throughout the first half of the race. The local hoop was able to stack them up around the home turn and kicked clear from his rivals when Chau pushed the button. He never looked like being caught in the straight, keeping his rivals behind him and scoring by three-quarters of-a-length. LUCKY QUALITY worked hard in the early stages to get across from the widest barrier, settling outside the leader down the back. He was under the pump as they swung for home, but to the gelding's credit he knuckled down in the run to the wire. He out-ran his $46 starting price to finish in second. GOLDEN BULL was case wide and without cover throughout the event and strode up to sit in third position throughout the event. He tried hard in the straight but couldn't out-sprint the leaders, with the first 5 in running the first 5 across the finish line.
Race 7 – Tsing Yi Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:41.01 Standard Time: 1:39.85 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
Karis Teetan threw everything he had at JUNE PLANET (AUS 5yo g Not A Single Doubt – Spy Catcher) to lift him off the canvas for an unlikely victory. After copping a bump shortly after the start, Teetan settled about midfield aboard the five-year-old, scooting along the inside rail. The pace was genuine throughout, with the Mauritian hoop already hard at work aboard June Planet a long way from the finish. He continued to work along the inside, going underneath his rivals to set out after the leader, scraping the paint and never going around another horse. Teetan definitely earned his riding fee as he snuck up the inside of the leader inside the final 50m, sticking his nose in front and stealing the victory by a head. OUTGATE was ridden beautifully out in front by Angus Chung, setting a good tempo
throughout and breaking clear of the chasing pack as they turned off the back straight. Coming up to the 400m point, Outgate was 2-3/4 lengths ahead of his nearest rival and was still well in front early in the straight. June Planet continued to creed closer in the straight, but Outgate wasn't going down without a fight as the two hit the line almost locked together. M UNICORN missed the start badly and ended up racing at the tail of the field. He made plenty of headway in the straight, going from being 7-3/4 lengths off at the 400m point to finishing just three-quarters of-a-length off the winner. He may have been a good thing beat.
Race 8 – Kwai Chung Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.67 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
SUGAR SUGAR (AUS 5yo g Star Turn – In The Moment) made it back-to-back wins in great style when winning the penultimate event. After getting away well from a wide alley, Alfred Chan was caught wide around the first turn before slotting into a beautiful position down the back straight. He travelled nicely in the one-out-one-back position and was able to stick with the leaders throughout, peeling deeper on the track as they turned for home. He let down strongly to hit the front with 200m to run and was over a length in front inside the final 50m. He kept on well to the line, scoring by a half-length and celebrated by a fist pump by Chan. CAPTAIN WIN was out the back in running, racing a clear last under Karis Teetan who remained along the inside rail around the turn and into the straight. He never went around a horse with a gap opening up along the inside, with the Mauritian making his run late at the leader. He left it too late though, as he was unable to reel in the leader. A AMERIC TE SPECSO was cluttered up between runners at the top of the straight but let down strongly once in clear air. He kept coming close to the line, finishing off to be 2 lengths off the winner in third.
Race 9 – Tsuen Wan Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.89 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
Not only did Zac Purton bookend the card, but he also brought up a winning treble in the process as the well-backed BEAUTY INFINITY (AUS 4yo g Toronado – No Push Over) notched up his second career win. The gelding got away well and rolled forward from the sticky draw, landing beautifully in the one-out-one-back position down the back stretch.
The pace was good early before slowing as the field approached the 600m point, but the gelding travelled comfortably throughout. The Australian hoop began to make his move as they turned for home, come up on the outside of the leaders with the gelding letting rip as soon as he pushed the button. The son of Toronado hit the front shortly after straightening and never gave anything a chance, bolting in by 2-1/4 lengths. OUR LUCKY GLORY was left racing wide and without cover throughout the event as he settled midfield from a sticky draw. Harry Bentley began to creep into the race around the home turn and was less than a length off the eventual winner as they straightened. He lacked the turn-of-foot that the winner possessed, but he kept on strongly to finish a clear second, with third a further 1-1/2 lengths behind. DAN ATTACK made a strong run from a long way back to finish in third. He quickened well when Hamelin asked for an effort and was arguably the run of the race behind the winner.
