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Bold grey California Dream gave Hong Kong plenty to cheer about when he took out the final international race of the CXIR Raceday at Sha Tin on Sunday thanks to a darting Matthew Chadwick ride in the US$2.6 million Hong Kong Cup.
Photo by Racing and Sports
It was a splendid ride by Chadwick, albeit with risk, as he settled the Tony Cruz trained California Memory on the rails and tracking the leaders Pure Champion (Gerald Mosse) and Byword (Maxime Guyon) as they went down the back straight.
The order stayed the same as they headed into the long bottom turn with Chadwick and California Memory idling in fourth under the moderate pace.
Once they went past the 400m mark Chadwick was committed to an inside run and it was an anxious wait for his supporters as Pure Champion continued to hold his position in front.
He had no room to move to the outside with Byword not giving ground as Zazou (Oliver Peslier) moved ahead outside Pure Champion and the favourite Ambitious Dragon (Douglas Whyte) making his widest of all.
Eventually the gap came as Pure Champion tired and Chadwick sent California Memory forward. In a few strides California Memory was through the gap and the race was won.
The grey surged clear to a length victory with the rising Hong Kong riding star Chadwick, 21, standing high in the irons to salute his victory . As he returned the parochial crowd roared their approval.
The Hong Kong domination continued with Irian and Darren Beadman running home late for second with Zazou holding third, the margin a head. Ambitious Dragon was a disappointing fourth while French star Cirrus Des Aigles was fifth and Byword sixth.
Ther win capped a spectacularly successful day for Hong Kong trained runners with Lucky Nine winning the Sprint, Able One the Mile and California Memory capping off the big day for the locals.
“We were a bit handier than expected, but he jumped straight into that spot and he relaxed very nicely,” said Chadwick.
“He had to wait a bit in the straight, but once he got the gap he went straight through it.
“Today has been the day. We have been a bit unlucky before, but we got the gap and he accelerated nicely.
“This is thanks to the support of the big owners and the big boss Tony Cruz for supporting me, and this one is not just for me, but for Hong Kong,” he said.
California Memory is a five-year-old gelding by Highest Honor out of the Spinning World mare Kaipita and this was his ninth win from 22 starts and with seven placings he has earned stakes of HK$24,693,890. He is owned by Howard Liang Yum Shing.
In February California Memory won the HK Group 1 Hong Kong Cup over 2000m and he was second in the Group 1QEII Cup over the same distance.
He was unplaced at Kranji in the Group 1 SAI Cup before Cruz produced him to won the HK Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy over 1600m on October 30.
He was blocked for room when fourth in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup over 2000m on November 20, but on Sunday it was an eventual clear passage in the most important of them all.