3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Sha Tin races.
Race 1 – Kap Shui Mun Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – All Weather - Distance 1800m – Track Good
Time: 1:49.43 Standard Time: 1:49.05 Course/Class record: 1:47.67 Lucky Bole
Karis Teetan and Michael Chang teamed up to win the first impressively with JOYFUL CHAMPION (GB 5yo g Outstrip – Meaning Of Time). He was only fairly into stride and was roused along in the opening stages to try and hold his position heading into the first turn. The flashy grey settled midfield through the middle stages with the pace only fair down the back straight. Teetan was able to get off the fence as they turned off the back straight and continued to course wider around the turn with the Mauritian hoop hard at work as they swung the bend. The grey had plenty of space to move into the race at the top of the straight, taking the lead with about 200m left to run. The race was all over by the time he hit the front, showing plenty of strength late in the race to pull away and win by 2-1/4 lengths. NICE BIRDIE was a touch slow into stride and settled on the back of the eventual winner with Hugh Bowman in the saddle. The gelding continued to follow Joyful Champion throughout the event, remaining on the back of the eventual winner as they rounded the home turn. Bowman had plenty of time and space to reel in the leader if he was good enough, but the winner was just too good on the night. SUPERB MOVE was held up badly at the top of the straight as his main rivals began to get their momentum up turning for home. The gelding sprinted well once Wong got him into the clear, but the race was all over by the time he got out. He held on for third in a photo finish.
Race 2 – Sham Tseng Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – All Weather - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.79 Standard Time: 1:09.10 Course/Class record: 1:08.46 Trillion Treasure
After a string of placings in his recent starts, today was finally the day for SUPER JOY (AUS 5yo g Starcraft – Hannah Jane) as he scored his maiden victory at start 18. He was a little slow into stride but was urged along by Matthew Chadwick to settle in a midfield position. He chugged along comfortably in that position through much of the race before the local hoop began peeling him out at the top of the straight looking for clear air. The pair got into the open early in the straight but was still spotting the leader over a length at the furlong pole. He kept grinding away down the middle of the track, getting closer and closer to the lead. It's almost as though he never hit the front at any stage except where it mattered most, with the five-year-old sticking his nose down on the wire to win in a three-way photo finish. DAILY TROPHY had settled back in the pack for Bowman after getting away from a wide draw. He raced three-wide with cover throughout the race and got a lovely tow into the event as they turned into the straight. He was well off the leader on straightening but got into clear air and began to motor right down the outside. It was a close finish on the line with three hitting the post almost in unison, with Daily Trophy finishing in second. SPANGLE FORTUNE raced in a handy position in the run and ran up to hit the lead inside the final 200m. He put up a good fight when runners out wide were coming at him, but he was unable to hold them off at the post as he finished in third.
Race 3 – Ting Kau Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – All Weather - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.02 Standard Time: 1:08.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.14 Happy Tour
Brenton Avdulla continued his good run of form, scoring aboard MUST GO (AUS 3yo g All Too Hard – Madame Moustache). From a good draw, the gelding got away on terms and settled just off what was a genuine tempo in the early stages, railing through to be fifth as they turned off the back. He continued to creep closer along the inside rail as the worked around the turn, with the Australian then having plenty of space to make his move shortly after straightening. The three-year-old had plenty of chasing to do at the top of the straight, but he knuckled down and got into his work nicely, showing plenty of strength to take the lead with about 100m left to run. He was far too good on the night, drawing away under Avdulla to score his maiden victory by 1-3/4 lengths. VANTASTIC CHOICE jumped quickly from the inside barrier and ended up taking a sit just off the leader as they sorted their order out. He was over a length off the front runner with 600m to run, stalking him around the turn before peeling off his back at the top of the straight to make his challenge. He moved up to hit the front with a furlong to run, but he was unable to fend off the eventual winner who moved up swiftly on the outside. He stuck on well to the line, finishing a clear second, but he just bumped into one better on the night. VALHALLA was back in a midfield position in running, racing wide throughout but Keagan De Melo did have cover. He was too far off the leaders turning for home to be a real threat, but he did finish off strongly down the middle of the track to finish in third.
Race 4 – Ting Kau Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – All Weather - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.46 Standard Time: 1:08.85 Course/Class record: 1:08.14 Happy Tour
The drop in class did the trick for MONTA FRUTTA (AUS 4yo g Capitalist – Ma Can Do It) as he notched up his first in in Hong Kong at start number six. He got away on terms from gate three but didn't show as much early speed as his rivals as Angus Chung ended up settling near the tail of the field. He looked to be travelling strongly through the middle stages as Chung began to work into the clear, spotting the leader 4-3/4 lengths as they turned into the straight. The gelding began to work into the race well down the middle of the course, eating up the ground. He continued to narrow the margin with every stride, eventually sticking his nose in front right on the line to bring up his first win in Hong Kong. SOLID SHALAA jumped the second favoruite of the race and was a little tardy out of the barriers for Karis Teetan. The Mauritian hoop improved his position in the early stages, being about midfield around the home turn as Teetan began looking for a way through the traffic. He went from the inside rail right out to the middle of the track as he began to work through his gears. He moved up to the leader in the shadows of the post and took the lead momentarily, before Monta Frutta got the better of him right on the line. ROBOT KNIGHT wasn't far away in third, having put in some big strides early in the race to take up the running with about 100m to run. He was unable to hold off the first two across the line, finishing a half-length back in third, with a further 1-3/4 lengths back to fourth placing.
Race 5 – The Hong Kong Chinese Importers' & Exporters' Association 70th Anniversary Cup (Handicap), HK $2,840,000
Class 2 – All Weather - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:08.36 Standard Time: 1:08.30 Course/Class record: 1:07.27 Winner Supreme
Getting back onto the All Weather surface paid dividends for BUNDLE OF CHARM (AUS 5yo g All Too Hard – Dubleanny) as he pulled away to win the feature of the night comfortably. The five-year-old wasn't the fastest into stride, with Alex Badel taking a sit in a position worse than midfield. He travelled well through the middle stages with Badel already getting to work aboard the gelding as he got off the inside rail with 500m to run. He was 4-1/4 lengths off the leader turning for home, but he came with a strong run right down the outside to hit the front with 100m remaining. He was too strong in the closing stages as he inched away close to the line, winning by 1-1/4. WONDER KIT had sat up on the good tempo throughout the event and looked a beaten force early in the straight. He rallied back to take the lead inside the final 200m and was giving a brave sight, but he couldn't fend off the eventual winner who was far too strong late. GUMMY GUMMY tracked the speed under Zac Purton throughout the race and was given every possible chance by the Australian jockey. The $1.70 favourite lacked the knockout punch though, just grinding away between runners to finish 2 lengths off the winner in third.
Race 6 – Yau Kon Tau Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – All Weather - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:07.94 Standard Time: 1:08.50 Course/Class record: 1:07.40 Dehere's The Love
SING DRAGON (AUS 4yo g Written Tycoon – Secret Doubt) made it back-to-back wins as the race favourite made every post a winner. The gelding didn't step the fastest, but he showed plenty of early speed to take up the running under Karis Teetan. He was able to catch his breath around the turn and still had his rivals off the bit and chasing a long way from home as Sing Dragon turned into the straight under a good hold. He had a few challengers early in the straight and the son of Capitalist showed plenty of fight with 200m to run. He kicked back along the inside to see off his tiring opponent, winning by three-quarters of-a-length. VICTORY MOMENTS bounced well from a sticky draw but was unable to land in the running line, with Matthew Chadwick forced to take his medicine and sit three-wide without cover. Despite the tough run in transit, the gelding moved into the race strongly at the top of the straight and set out after the leader. It almost looked as though Victory Moments had taken the lead approaching the furlong pole, but Sing Dragon rallied back along the inside as Chadwick's mount began to tire. Victory Moments had nothing left in the tank to fight back, finishing a game second with a massive gap back to third. CAMPIONE was back in some form tonight, sticking on well after sitting up on the pace to hold on for third in a close three-way finish.
Race 7 – Stonecutters Island Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – All Weather - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:39.07 Standard Time: 1:38.80 Course/Class record: 1:37.74 Mission Bravo
It was a blow out for punters in the penultimate event as FOREVER FOLKS (AUS 5yo g Tavistock – Tempting Delight) scored at a starting price of $43. The five-year-old was slow out of the barriers, with Ben Thompson sliding down to the inside rail as they worked around the first turn. He would end up sitting a little worse than midfield in the run, travelling comfortably on the back of a genuine tempo through the middle stages. The pace slowed substantially around the home turn as the field packed up. But as the sprint went back on, luck was in the favour of Thompson as the field fanned around the home turn, allowing the Australian jockey to sneak along the inside and go underneath his rivals. He sprinted well in the straight, only going around one horse as he continued to make ground along the inside. He burst through with about 100m to run and took the lead, drawing clear in the shadows of the post to win by a length on the line. GALVANIC settled
midfield in the run for Ellis Wong, sitting along the rail. Getting to the 500m point, Wong got away from the inside as he tried to pick his way through the traffic turning for home, eventually swinging wide at the top of the straight. Coming down the middle of the track, Galvanic made a good run to finish in second position, but the winner was already off and gone. TRIUMPHANT WARRIOR got moving a long way from home as they moved around the home turn, being pushed extremely wide on the turn. With the gelding having his momentum up, he took the lead shortly after straightening, but was unable to run away with the race. He kept on well to the line, but he was no match for the first couple
Race 8 – Rambler Channel Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – All Weather - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:37.75 Standard Time: 1:38.25 Course/Class record: 1:36.79 True Legend
M UNICORN (NZ 5yo g Savabeel – Candelabra) returned to winning ways as Keith Yeung got there right on time. Returning to the 1650m journey today, Yeung snagged the gelding back to last position at the jump with the five-year-old travelling comfortably with a strong tempo being set. The local hoop remained at the tail of the field right up to the home turn, swinging wide into the straight with a massive 7-1/2 lengths to make up on the leader. Yeung got to work aboard the son of Savabeel, storming right down the outside late in the race to steal the win right on the post, getting the nod in a three-way photo finish. TURIN MASCOT used the inside draw to his advantage, settling in a trailing position midfield and along the inside. After enjoying a lovely run throughout, Teetan began pushing his way off the inside and into the clear at the top of the straight, obtaining clear running shortly after straightening and setting out after the leader. He dug deep to take the lead inside the final 100m and despite Teetan throwing everything he had at the gelding, he was just edged out right on the wire. ADEFILL settled back in the field under Hugh Bowman who was able to get into clear air at the top of the straight. He made his run alongside the eventual winner M Unicorn, with the pair looking to hit the line almost locked together. The heads were out of sync though, with the judge placing Adefill in third.
