3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Bowrington Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1800m - Track Good
Time: 1:50.16 Standard Time: 1:49.75 Course/Class record: 1:48.33 Success Allstars
Alex Badel got his night off to a winning start aboard the Benno Yung-trained DRAGON PRIDE (AUS 7yo g Sebring – Lady Krovanh). The gelding jumped well and initially held a forward position before runners from wider out came across. He ended up being about midfield on settling down with the pace only moderate through the first half the race. When the mid-race moves came, the seven-year-old was shuffled back through the field, being near the back of the pack with 500m remaining. Badel began to work his way through traffic approaching the home turn and swung out to the middle of the course as they turned into the straight, getting plenty of clear air. The son of Sebring let rip down the centre of the course, making ground with every stride to hit the front with 50mk remaining and power away from his rivals, winning by 1-1/4 lengths. SUPERB DADDY was only fairly into stride and settled near the tail of the field on settling down. Angus Chung remained at the back through the first half of the race before improving into the three-wide line with around 600m left to run. He sustained a long run as he got to the outside turning for home, staying on well out wide to run into second position. CIRCUIT ELITE was caught racing wide and without cover through the first half of the race, sitting in a midweek position. Derek Leung pressed on as they worked down the back to move up and take the lead with 600m remaining, before drawing clear and leading by 2 lengths as they turned for home. The flashy grey wouldn't give up and only got tired inside the final 50m. He stuck on well to finish 1-1/2 lengths off the winner. Race favourite Smart Beauty wasn't given much chance after being well back in the run, finishing in sixth.
Race 2 – Canal Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m – Track Good
Time: 56.58 Standard Time: 57.00 Course/Class record: 56.39 Gentle Breeze
COLOURFUL PRINCE (NZ 6yo g Per Incanto – Waimiha) never gave anything else a chance as he led all the way. The gelding burst out of the barriers from out wide and Luke Ferraris shot across to lead. He didn't settle once he got to the front, continuing to roll along at a strong tempo around the home turn with the South African hoop having a strong hold of
the six-year-old at the top of the straight. The gelding shot away when Ferraris eventually pressed the button and the race was over with 200m left to run, with Ferraris easing the gelding down over the final 50m and the margin still being a whopping 4-1/4 lengths. SERGEANT PEPPER was also urged along out of the barriers by Ellis Wong, getting across to land on the back of the leader as they turned off the back straight. He did plenty of chasing and was off the bit as they turned for home but couldn't reel in the leader who shot away. He stuck on well in the straight to hold on for second, but the winner was in a different postcode. SKY SONG finished off well along the inside for Brenton Avdulla, sneaking runs right along the inside to steal third position.
Race 3 – Leighton Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.59 Standard Time: 1:10.05 Course/Class record: 1:09.17 Alloy King
After a relatively tough start to the night, punters were back on top as $2.50 favourite VIVA A LA (NZ 5yo g Showcasing – Zafrenzy) won comfortably. The gelding got away to a decent start and rolled forward to be just off the speed around the first turn. They weren't hanging about through the middle stages and there was plenty of jostling for positions around Viva A La down the back straight. Matthew Poon was able to get off the fence with around 400m to run and get into clear air, tracking the leaders into the race as he asked the five-year-old for an effort. Viva A La promptly responded, moving up to hit the front with 150m to run and drawing away from his rivals over the concluding stages. Poon took a couple of looks over the shoulder and once he realised the race was over, eased up on the gelding to the line, with the final margin being 1-3/4 lengths. DOUBLE SHOW jumped on terms and was unable to slot into the running line from a tricky alley, settling in a midfield position three-wide. He did have cover out there through the race with Luke Ferraris beginning to make his move approaching the home turn. He was out wide on the track as he made his run, sustaining his effort to the line. He couldn't catch the winner, but it was a solid effort to run second. DEVIL AND GOLD ran on well from midfield as Matthew Chadwick weaved his way through traffic in the straight. The gelding closed off well to finish 2-1/2 lengths off the winner.
Race 4 – Wong Nai Chung Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:10.43 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
Zac Purton got on the board in race four with HIGH PERCENTAGE (AUS 4yo g Maurice – Gypsy Rose Lee) as Benno Yung bought up a winning double on the night. After getting a good jump from barrier 3, Purton made sure to hold the gelding's position around the first turn, settling in the one-out-one-back position. He remained there for much of the race with no change to the order, before peeling out three-wide at the 450m point to begin his run. He cruised up to the leaders three-wide as he built his momentum and took the lead shortly after straightening. Purton gave the four-year-old a crack with the whip and he shot away from his rivals, crossing the line a 2-1/4 length winner. GOLDEN LINK wasn't the fastest into stride, but he mustered well under Derek Leung to get across and sit outside the lead. The leaders controlled the race through the middle stages and Leung didn't panic as his nearest rival tried to skip away at the top of the straight. He got stuck into his mount turning for home and he just didn't have the sprint that the winner possessed. He kept on well to the line to finish second, but the winner was just in a class of his own. EXUBERANT was midfield in running and was another who stuck on nicely at the finish. He was strong to the line, but he just had too much ground to make up, finishing in third.
Race 5 – The Craigengower Cricket Club Challenge Cup (Handicap), HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.60 Standard Time: 1:09.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
Australian import SPORTS LEGEND (AUS 4yo g Deep Field – Twist Tops) notched up his first win in Hong Kong and did so in scintillating fashion. The gelding was away on terms and showed good pace early before being crossed early in the back straight. The pace was good and Angus Chung took a sit just off the leader with the field strung out through the middle stages. The apprentice hoop continued to stalk the leader around the turn before popping off heels with 400m to run to make his challenge, looming large at the top of the straight. The leader had enough shortly after straightening and Sports Legend took the lead by default with Chung still sitting motionless aboard the four-year-old. Once he pressed the button though the son of Deep Field shot clear, putting a big gap on his rivals in the straight and eventually crossing the line a 4-1/4 length victor. EASY SNIP was back about midfield in the run for Jerry Chau, with the local hoop keeping close to the inside and pinching runs. The gelding never went around a horse as Chau made his run along the rail in the straight, getting underneath his rivals and finishing off well to claim second in a photo finish. Race favourite DAN ATTACK had been prominent in the run, sitting just of Sports Legend throughout, but he couldn't match it with the eventual winner in the straight. He tried hard over the final stages, clinging on to third.
Race 6 – Percival Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.09 Standard Time: 1:40.05 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
It'd been a long time between drinks for RED MAJESTY (NZ 7yo g Ferlax – Little Tee), but the seven-year-old notched up his first win since October 2022 with Karis Teetan in the saddle. The gelding was a little slow into stride from a wide alley and was unable to take up his usual front-running role, slotting into a midfield position as they worked towards the first turn. There was no real change to the order throughout the event, with Teetan remaining in his midfield position throughout the event and only moving into the three-wide line approaching the home turn. The Mauritian hoop gave his mount every possible chance at the top of the straight, giving the seven-year-old plenty of clear air the top of the straight. The old boy continued to make ground out wide, eventually sticking his nose in front with 50m to run and inching away to win by three-quarters of-a-length. KASA PAPA settled a long way back through the first half of the race before Jerry Chau took off down the back. The local hoop didn't rush around the field down the back, he just cruised his way around his rivals to go up and join the leader around the home turn. He was still travelling strongly under Chau and ran to the front shortly after straightening. He dug in when Chau pressed the button in the straight, but he was unable to hold off the winner who came over the top of him late in the race. NORTHERN BEAST didn't have the best of luck when the race was beginning to unfold around 600m from the finish, but he was definitely the eye-catcher late in the race. He flashed home late in the race to run into second position and while he was 2 lengths off the winner, he wasn't stopping at the line.
Race 7 – Percival Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.61 Standard Time: 1:40.05 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
Ben Thompson and COURIER MAGIC (NZ 4yo g Savabeel – Karla Bruni) proved their last star victory together was no fluke. The newest jockey to Hong Kong settled back in the run under Thompson with the pace solid through the first half of the event. Thompson moved into the three-wide trail as they approached the 600m point and began to work into the race nicely around the turn before coming widest at the top of the straight. The gelding let rip with a good sprint out under the grandstand, reeling in the leader inside the final 50m and getting the job done by a neck on the line. STRONGEST BOY held his position along the inside rail for Zac Purton off an inside draw, settling midfield as the field sorted their order out. Purton found himself in a tricky position around the home turn as he was hemmed up along the inside rail, but the champion hoop was able to work his way through the traffic and into the clear at the top of the straight. He sprinted well to take the lead with 150m to run, but he couldn't hold off the winner who was flashing strongly at the finish. D STAR
settled near the back of the pack in running and Angus Chung had to use every ounce of his experience to weave through the traffic. The apprentice hoop did well in the straight with the top weight closing strongly late in the race, but he couldn't reel in the first wo across the line as he ended up three-quarters of-a-length off the winner.
Race 8 – Russell Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:41.31 Standard Time: 1:39.85 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
Jerry Chau secured his first win of the night aboard SAMARKAND (NZ 5yo g Mongolian Khan – Shimmy) after having his foot on the till throughout the night. After getting away on terms, Chau rolled forward aboard the five-year-old and slotted into a beautiful position one-out and one-back. The pace wasn't overly strong through the middle stages despite the field being quite strung out heading down the back of the course. There were no moves mid-race as Chau remained patient on the back of the leading pair and didn't panic as the leader tried to kick away with 400m to run. Around the turn, Chau threw everything he had at Samarkand who was grinding away down the centre of the course. He only stuck his nose in front inside the final 50m and put the head down where it mattered most, securing victory in a photo finish with a close three-way finish. LOVERO had been the one to give Samarkand a lovely run in the race, sitting on the outside of the leader. Angus Chung gave his mount a beautiful steer turning for home, and he quickly went to the front with a furlong to run. The gelding wouldn't go down without a fight, trying his heart out right to the line, but he was just grabbed by one better on the night. HAMERON came flashing home down the outside from beyond midfield and was the eye-catching run of the race. He was 5 lengths off on the turn and closed strongly late in the race, finishing just a neck off the winner.
Race 9 – Tin Lok Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.92 Standard Time: 1:09.60 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
Apprentice Angus Chung made it a winning double on the night as he guided home COLOURFUL EMPEROR (IRE 4yo g Holy Roman Emperor – Elaysa) to back-to-back wins. The four-year-old was quickly out of the barriers from a favourable alley and pressed on to lead around the first turn. He didn't have control for long though as one of his rivals zoomed around to take up the running, leaving Chung in a stalking role through the middle stages.
He was right on the leader's tail turning for home and popped off his back to mount his challenge early in the straight. He took the lead with a furlong to run and packed plenty of punches in the run to the line. There were plenty of rivals chasing, but the four-year-old had enough left in the tank to get the job done by a half-length on the line. WINGS OF WAR settled midfield from barrier three and enjoyed a lovely run just off the speed for Harry Bentley. The flashy grey had every chance to catch the leader if he was good enough and did look as though he'd make a race of it late in the race. When he loomed up to the leader though he just lacked the knockout punch and was forced to settle for second. HEALTHY HEALTHY was positioned alongside Wings Of War turning for home and stuck closer to the inside at the top of the straight. He closed off strongly for Brenton Avdulla, stealing third position away right on the post and getting the nod in a photo finish.
