3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
A competitive meeting at Happy Valley. The weather held off which created an even playing field. Two debutants caught the eye, winning impressively, as did a one-time 4YO Series hopeful in the feature of the night.
Race 1 – Mount Nicholson Handicap, HK $810,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:39.45 Standard Time: 1:40.30 Course/Class record: 1:38.91 All Joyful
There was a dominant winner in the first with CONCERTO (Dalakhani – Amalgamate) scoring very impressively along the inside. After jumping well and settling on the back of the leader, Luke Ferraris found himself in a brilliant position with the pace solid through the first half of the event.
The leader ran along and led by a couple of lengths at the midway point, before coming back to the field turning off the back. The South African hoop had plenty of horse underneath him as he turned for home and remained along the inside as the leaders wobbled away from the fence on straightening.
He quickened brilliantly to take the lead a furlong from home and bolt in by 3-1/2 lengths. BEAUTY N0VA stuck on well from on the pace to finish second, while the leader VIVA A LA ended up in third.
Race 2 – Shouson Hill Handicap, HK $1,080,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1800m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:49.50 Standard Time: 1:49.60 Course/Class record: 1:48.10 Acclaimed Light
Race 2 saw Zac Purton hit the board with MANAGEMENT FOLKS (Mastercraftsman – Excellent Mariner) getting the job done. The gelding was only fairly into stride and was ridden along by Purton to improve his position early on, settling just worse than midfield and along the inside.
The pace was good through the early stages and up to the 800m point, before the leaders slammed the brakes on and stacked up the field. Purton has been able to get off the inside prior to this and was able to track his rivals into the race, looking for a way clear as they turned into the straight.
The race opened right up for him, and the gelding sprinted quickly near the centre of the course. He took over inside the final 50m to win comfortably in the end, with the official margin a neck. HAPPY ANGEL finished in second after sitting outside the leader throughout in a strong effort, while TO INFINITY snuck up the inside to steal third in a photo finish.
Race 3 – Stanley Gap Handicap, HK $1,080,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good
Time: 56.97 Standard Time: 57.10 Course/Class record: 56.39 Gentle Breeze
The David Hall-trained FAST SERVE (Swiss Ace – Nahele) made a winning start to his career over the 1000m dash. He wasn't the fastest into stride but mustered quickly under Luke Ferraris to burrow through and take the lead under his own steam.
He extended his lead turning off the back and was 1-1/4 lengths in front at the 400m mark with Ferraris still having a strong hold of a gelding. He had plenty of rivals come off his back to give chase in the straight and had their chance of catching the debutant, but he was too speedy at the finish, winning by a neck.
The money came for SERGEANT PEPPER, with the gelding actually jumping favourite ahead of Fast Serve in the end, but he couldn't run him down after being in a perfect position in the run. HEART WISH finished third by was a long way off the first two.
Race 4 – Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap, HK $1,080,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.84 Standard Time: 1:09.95 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
It was another debutant scoring in Race 4, but the less fancied JOYFUL HUNTER (Darci Brahma – Giant Hunter) scored an impressive victory. Vincent Ho eased the gelding back from his wide draw and was being nudged along around the first turn to keep in touch with the field with a strong pace being set.
Ho moved into the three-wide trail and was able to work into the race beautifully turning for home and was the widest runner at the top of the straight. He was very green in the run home, ducking in under the urgings of Ho, but the three-year-old wasn't stopping close to home, bounding away to score by 2 lengths at the finish.
MODEST GENTLEMAN was able to cut the corner at the top of the straight and scrape along the rail to finish in second, while SUPER WINNER held on for third in a photo finish. MULTISUPER jumped the $2 favourite but never really featured in the event. He was a little slow to jump but mustered to hold a position just off the speed. Lyle Hewitson was urging the gelding along turning into the straight, but he failed to make an impression, finishing in 8th place.
Race 5 – The Cricket Club Valley Stakes (Handicap), HK $2,640,000
Class 2 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.08 Standard Time: 1:10.20 Course/Class record: 1:08.26 Rewarding Together
He was touted as a 4YO Series hopeful at the end of 2022, but NORDIC DRAGON (Starspangledbanner – Rely On Me) has made his name around the Happy Valley 1200m. He bought up the hat-trick tonight with Matthew Poon pushing forward to lead from the outside barrier, different to his last two wins where he's come from the back.
The four-year-old showed good speed to lead around the first turn and cross down to the rail passing the 800m point. Matthew Poon had the gelding in a lovely rhythm throughout and looked to be travelling comfortably swinging for home while many of his rivals were under heavy pressure.
There was no catching him in the straight as he careered away to score by 2-1/4 lengths in very impressive fashion. MAJESTIC STAR turned in a brave effort to finish in second, while WINNING ICEY had good support late in betting and finished in third. A disappointing run from HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE, who jumped favourite but never really looked likely in the straight, finishing in fifth.
Race 6 – Wong Nai Chung Gap Handicap, HK $1,080,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.94 Standard Time: 1:09.95 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
FLAMING PASSION (Headwater – Red Duchez) bought up back-to-back wins with a gutsy victory. He jumped well for Matthew Chadwick and rolled forward to settle on the back of the leader as they sorted their order out.
He enjoyed a lovely run in transit and was able to nudge his opponent out of the way heading into the straight, coming through between runners and eventually taking the lead with 200m to run. He raced away from his rivals for an easy victory, scoring by three-quarters of-a-length on the line.
GALVANIC ran second and may not have handled the turn into the straight, wobbling wide and allowing the winner to come up underneath him. TOGEPI was an eye-catching effort from the back of the field, storming home down the outside to run into third place.
Race 7 – Tai Tam Gap Handicap, HK $1,725,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.62 Standard Time: 1:09.75 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
Vincent Ho bought up a double with odds-on favourite DANCING CODE (Panzer Division – Parraay) proving far too good for his rivals. He got away on terms off the inside and was able to land midfield and along the rail on settling, with a good go for the lead up front.
Ho was niggle at his mount to keep him within striking distance down the back and continued to ramp up the pressure as they worked around the home turn. He still had 2-1/3 lengths to make up in the straight, but let down powerfully out wider on the course, rounding up the leader with 50m to go and winning by 1-1/2 lengths very comfortably.
SON PAK FU just got too far out of his ground but did make a late lunge to grab second position, while SMOKEY BEAR stuck on gamely from the front to hold on for third.
Race 8 – Violet Young Handicap, HK $1,900,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:39.99 Standard Time: 1:39.85 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
Brenton Avdulla bought up his second winner in Hong Kong aboard the David Hall-trained MALDIVES (Burgundy – Celtic Dream). The Australian jockey took the gelding back from his draw and settled near the tail of the field early on. Avdulla was able to improve his position along the inside to be a little worse than midfield on settling with a solid tempo being set through the early and middle stages of the race.
He was 8 lengths off the lead at the 800m point, but that margin had been trimmed back to just 2-3/4 lengths with 400m remaining as the field packed up turning for home. The Golden Slipper-winning jockey sliced his way through the field before getting into the clear midway down the straight, getting his nose in front inside the final 100m and proving too strong at the finish.
He scored by a half-length, with VIVA HUNTER sticking on gamely from his on-pace position and HAMERON was flashing home from the tail of the field in a very eye-catching effort. ROMANTIC LAOS jumped favourite for Zac Purton but never really got into the race form his midfield position, just holding his ground to be beaten 2-1/2 lengths.
Race 9 – Windy Gap Handicap, HK $2,900,000
Class 2 – Turf - Distance 1650m - Track Good
Time: 1:38.87 Standard Time: 1:39.40 Course/Class record: 1:.37.97 Tsar
The las event on the card saw the best win on the card with Derek Leung and ENCOUNTERED (Churchill – Enrol) posting a phenomenal win. The local jockey pressed forward from the wide draw early on but was left racing very wide around the first turn.
The four-year-old was unable to slot in down the side of the course and was left racing three-wide and without cover. Despite his tough run in transit, the gelding rolled forward to take the lead approaching the home turn, still racing in his three-wide position and doing it under a strong hold.
He burst clear when asked for an effort in the straight and the race was over in a matter of strides. The gelding shot clear to win by 4-3/4 lengths eased down in what was the best win of the night by far. THE IRISHMAN closed off nicely for second place and WINNING DRAGON was third, but it's all about the winner who bolted in.
