3 minute read

Last Friday night’s Kwangju Handicap over 1800 metres at Taipa was looked upon as an important event for a number of horses who were looking to seal their place in the SJM Macau Derby on May 20.

With seven of the 13 runners engaged in the race four year olds, a win or a place was crucial for five of those, however for the second week straight the heavy rain put paid to the chances of most with the race being taken out by one of the lesser light four year olds in One From Many.

The previous weekend it was the 60/1 shot River Treasure that dashed the Derby hopes of many in the Group 1 Macau Guineas on a soft track.

On Friday it was the Kim Cheong trained One From Many who blew away the hopes of some of the Derby aspirants, as he stormed home from the tail of the field to win running away under Irish jockey Wayne Smith.

One From Many starting at odds of 12/1 defeated the 50/1 shot Off The Bench (Cliffy Lai), with Basement (Charlie Chan) at odds of 20/1 running in third in what was a disaster for punters.

One From Many is a four year old son of Congrats (USA) and Friday night’s win was his sixth in Macau, and his second at the 1800 metre distance. However he was on a low rating of 53 before Friday’s race and even with a penalty for the win, will be far short of the mark for a Derby birth on ratings.

The wet ground played right into his hands on Friday night with all of the geldings win’s on the turf coming on soft or heavy ground.

Looking from a Derby viewpoint Krystrump ran ok in finishing fifth beaten two and three quarter lengths, and The Moon’s Back likewise in sixth spot beaten four lengths, after looming as a real chance at the two hundred after being held up at the top of the straight.

Macau Moonlight, Same Beauty and New Classicism all failed to handle the soft ground and finished well back in the run.

Friday night’s racing belonged to Wayne Smith who kicked home a treble for the night.

Moonwalker from the combined stable of Victor Chan and Kenny Seo was the first of Wayne Smith’s winners when he saluted off a perfect ride from Smith in the 0 to 55 Special Conditions Race over 1200 metres.

From gate seven the Irishman had the son of Rothesay (USA) travelling third on the fence, before peeling off the back of the leaders at the two hundred to charge home and win by three quarters of a length from Who’s My Fan (Peter Ho), with Wan Shi Sheng Yi (Martin Cangas) in third.

The vastly improved Modena Favorite made it three wins from his last five starts with a strong win in the Class 4 over 1200 metres.

Modena Favorite took more than twelve months to win a race in Macau but has really blossomed in his five year old season. Judging by Fridays win the gelding will be adding to that in the months ahead with the summer rains starting to arrive and his ability to handle wet ground.

Modena Favorite is prepared by Kim Cheong and was the start of a great night for Cheong with Lucky Winston later taking out the Class 1 Handicap over 1500 metres under Martin Wepner, and One From Many winning the last.

Lucky Winston is another that has found good form of late with a win in the IACM Lunar New Trophy back in February and two close seconds recently in top company over 1500 and 1800 metres.

The son of Churchill Downs (Aus) goes particularly well for South African jockey Martin Wepner who has ridden the six year old six times for two wins and three close seconds.

In Friday night’s race Lucky Winston came from well back in the run in a race run at cracking speed on a soft track by virtue of Oh So Easy. Oh So Easy went at a suicidal pace and had the field stretched out over more than twenty lengths at one stage.

Turquoise Power rocketed home late for second under Ruan Maia, with Oh So Easy doing a marvelous job to hold on for third under Roger Yu only beaten two and a half lengths.