3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Sha Tin races.
Race 1 – Silent Witness Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.29 Standard Time: 1:09.35 Course/Class record: 1:08.40 Master Eight
Francis Lui kicked off a big day for his stable with HAPPY PARK (AUS 4yo g Duporth – Jevilla) getting the job done in the opener. Andrea Atzeni rolled forward from the inside barrier to be on the speed on settling down, letting the leader cross in front of him to take cover early on. As they turned off the back, Atzeni switched to the outside, moving up around the leader on the turn and travelling strongly into the race on straightening. He was there to pounce at the top of the straight and he stuck his nose in front with 200m remaining. He lengthened nicely to break away from the chasing pack with midway down the straight and the gelding had enough left in the tank to hold on for the win, scoring by a neck on the line in a strong effort. BRILLIANT EXPRESS got away on terms and Hugh Bowman slid back to try and slot into the running line early on. He was unable to get into the running line turning off the back, racing three-wide with cover, but he was eventually able to slot in with around 600m remaining. He was travelling well into the straight and Bowman pushed his way into the clear early in the straight with the gelding closing off nicely. He finished off strongly down the outside but ran out of time to reel the leader in. CITY THUNDER kept on well to the line after sitting on the leader's back in the run, crossing the line in third place.
Race 2 – Beauty Generation Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1400m – Track Good
Time: 1:21.91 Standard Time: 1:22.05 Course/Class record: 1:20.80 Perfect Pair
Franics Lui quickly made it an early double on the card as Zac Purton guided home PACKING ANGEL (NZ 4yo g Shocking – Out Of The Barn) to a dominant victory. From a wide gate, Purton elected to slide back from the gate, but he was planted three-wide throughout the run. He did have cover out deep though with the pace solid up front, giving Purton every chance swinging for home and the gelding absolutely trucked into the race. The Australian hoop was sitting motionless aboard the four-year-old as he loomed large on the leaders, before putting them away with ease when asked for an effort. He shot away inside the final 200m and while he did wobble back to the inside rail, there was nobody to worry about with the gelding winning by an impressive 2-3/4 lengths. LEGEND ST PAUL'S rolled forward from gate 11 to sit up on the pace throughout the event, working over to sit on the outside of the leader. He moved into the race beautifully around the turn and quickly took up the running shortly after straightening. Just as Derek Leung began asking his mount for an effort, Packing Angel flew right by him. He kept on well to finish second, but the winner was just far too good. ENDEARED closed off strongly right down the outside under Ryan Moore to finish in third position.
Race 3 – Lord Kanaloa Handicap, HK $1,860,000,
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:08.78 Standard Time: 1:09.05 Course/Class record: 1:08.11 Victor The Winner
The winners didn't stop for the Francis Lui barn, taking out the opening three races on the day with DIVANO (AUS 4yo g Brave Smash – Been Scene) returning to the winner's list. Kiwi hoop James McDonald rolled forward from barrier seven to be about midfield on settling down with a good speed on offer early doors. He was travelling beautifully in the run, sitting one off the rail around the turn and McDonald pulled into the clear on straightening with the gelding working through his gears. The leader kicked away at the top of the straight, but Divano stuck to the task well as McDonald asked for an effort, swiftly moving into second position before gunning down the leader with 100m to run. He pulled away over the concluding stages to win by 1-3/4 lengths at the finish in a strong victory. KING PROFIT jumped at a massive price of $185 and landed in the one-out-one-back position under Alex Pouchin. He was just in front of Divano in the run and King Profit was travelling well himself heading around the turn. He came under heavy pressure shortly after straightening, but he kept on well down the stretch to run into second position in the best run of his career to date. YOUNG SUPERSTAR left e field from barrier 14 and put in a good kick on straightening to get away from his rivals. He just felt the pinch late in the race, but managed to hold on for third, only two lengths off the winner.
Race 4 – The Longines Hong Kong Vase, HK $24,000,000
Group One – Turf - Distance 2400m – Track Good
Time: 2:27.53 Standard Time: 2:27.00 Course/Class record: 2:24.60 Viva Pataca
The first of the four Group One's on the card went the way of GIAVELLOTTO (IRE 5yo h Mastercraftsman – Gerika) for Marco Botti and Oisin Murphy. From a middle barrier, Murphy came out neutrally aboard the five-year-old and ended up a little worse than midfield in the run, sitting along the inside rail. The pace was just even through the opening and middle stages of the race with horses still trying to find their positions around the first turn. Eventually the speed ramped up again down the back straight, with Giavellotto put to sleep in his midfield position along the inside. Coming to the 600m point, Murphy began looking for a passage through, getting off the inside and improving between horses into the straight and trying to squeeze his way through a gap turning for home. The five-year-old lost all of his momentum on straightening and was shuffled back to be near last with 400m remaining, with horses all around him making their mark. Murphy was able to duck back to the inside midway down the straight and Giavellotto let rip, sprinting quickly after the interference to take the lead and pull away for an impressive 2-1/2 length victory. DUBAI HONOUR renewed his association with the Sha Tin turf, settling about midfield in the run for Tom Marquand. He was shuffled back a little when runs began to be made with around 600m remaining, with the Englishman riding for luck along the inside. There was a bit of a bumping duel early in the straight, but once Dubai Honour saw clear running up the inside, he closed off strongly to finish a length clear in second. SETLLENBOSCH was well backed late in betting and jumped the $3.20 favourite. She worked around her rivals turning for home and looked like the winner on straightening as she ran to the lead midway down the stretch. She hit the wall though, weakening on her run and ending up in third position, beaten 3-1/2 lengths.
Race 5 – The Longines Hong Kong Sprint, HK $26,000,000
Group One – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:08.15 Standard Time: 1:08.35 Course/Class record: 1:07.43 Ka Ying Rising
KA YING RISING (NZ 4yo g Shamexpress – Missy Moo) secured his maiden Group One victory and extended his unbeaten run to eight wins in the Hong Kong Sprint. He didn't have it all his own way though, with the gelding being a little slow into stride and having t be roused along to be up on the speed for Zac Purton. With his rival kicking up on the inside of him, Purton was happy to sit between horses on the outside of the leader with the pressure right on through the middle stages. He worked around the corner sweetly and looked as though he would put his rivals to the sword at the top of the straight. He shot to the front with 300m to run as Purton asked for an effort, leading comfortably with 100m to run but there were some chasers. He never looked like he was going to be beaten, though many expected him to win by more than the half-length margin that he scored by. HELIOS EXPRESS ran a superb race after settling in the second half of the field under Hugh Bowman. The field packed up around the turn and Bowman remained closed to the inside as he tried to weave his way through the traffic. He was held up until the 300m point we he went back to the inside and squeezed between runners. He was storming home late in the race to finish in second position, beaten just a half-length to the World's Best Sprinter. SATONO REVE ran a great race from midfield, scooting along the inside before getting into the clear midway down the straight and running third for Joao Moreira.
Race 6 – Jim And Tonic Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1800m – Track Good
Time: 1:47.47 Standard Time: 1:47.75 Course/Class record: 1:46.18 Glorious Forever
CALIFORNIATOTALITY (AUS 4yo g Zoustar – Total Attraction) was backed off the map and saluted for punters, scoring comfortably under Brenton Avdulla. The gelding jumped quickly from a wide barrier and was urged along early on by Avdulla to get across, eventually sliding over to settle on the outside of the leader with a good tempo being set early on. The pace continued to be good through the middle stages with the field still relatively strung out with 600m left to run. Despite being under pressure as they swung around the bend, the gelding was hanging in there tough as he began to make ground on the leader midway down the straight. He moved up to join the leader with 150m to run, before sticking his head in front and drawing away over the concluding stages, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths and landing some big bets in the process. PRAY FOR MIR had worked across from barrier seven to take up the running for Matthew Chadwick and Cody Mo, leading the field at a solid tempo throughout the run. He kicked strongly around the turn and broke over a length clear of Californiatotality early in the straight and he was proving hard to run down with a furlong to run. He may have just begun to tire late in the race as the winner ran by him, though they'd built a big enough gap to their rivals for him to finish in second. BRAVEHEARTS ran on gamely from midfield to finish in third place, only two lengths off the winner at the finish.
Race 7 – The Longines Hong Kong Mile, HK $36,000,000
Group One – Turf - Distance 1600m – Track Good
Time: 1:33.34 Standard Time: 1:33.95 Course/Class record: 1:32.64 Beauty Generation
The Hong Kong Mile went the way of the locals with VOYAGE BUBBLE (AUS 6yo g Deep Field – Raheights) scoring the second Group One victory of his career. James McDonald took the gelding to the front of the field early on with nobody that keen to lead in the early stages of the race. McDonald was able to hold his position along the inside, eventually obtaining cover with around 1000m remaining down the back straight, before switching off the inside as they turned off the back straight. The Kiwi moved up on the outside of the leader as they turned into the straight and he shot away when McDonald asked for an effort. He put a good gap on his chasing rivals and while they were making some ground late, the win was never in doubt over the closing stages with Voyage Bubble scoring by 1-1/4 lengths. SOUL RUSH was caught wide early in the race as Joao Moreira looked to slot in from barrier 10, before easing back to land in the second half of the field. He cruised into the race around the outside of runners as they swung into the bend and was making some headway out wide, but he was laying in badly and caused plenty of interference in the run home. He was able to balance up midway down the straight and he closed off well, finishing strongly to snatch second position. BEAUTY JOY added some value to the exotics as he finished in third position as a $101 chance. He closed off strongly down the outside under Brenton Avdulla to finish in third place.
Race 8 – The Longines Hong Kong Cup, HK $40,000,000
Group One – Turf - Distance 2000m – Track Good
Time: 2:00.51 Standard Time: 2:00.65 Course/Class record: 1:59.23 Romantic Warrior
History was made in the Hong Kong Cup as ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE 6yo g Acclamation – Folk Melody) notched up his seventh victory in a row as he claimed his third Hong Kong Cup. From barrier one, James McDonald put the gelding in a handy position close to the speed, leading the field into the first turn before taking a trailing position on the back of the leader on settling down. As they swung into the back straight, McDonald avoided being caught up three pairs back and along the rail, shifting off the fence and moving into the one-out-one-back position in a sharp piece of riding. The pace was good, and the gelding travelled beautifully through the middle stages with no change to the order. The Kiwi had one of his main rivals ahead of him in the run, tracking his every move before peeling three-wide and building into the race at the top of the straight. The son of Acclamation moved up to take the lead with 250m remaining and the race was all over from that point onwards, he proved far too good for his rivals once again did Romantic Warrior, winning by 1-1/2 lengths and making history in the process. LIBERTY ISLAND closed off well behind the galloper after sitting in the second half of the field for Yuga Kawada. She sustained a solid run to the line to finish in second position, but the winner was just too good. TASTIERA sat on the speed throughout and put in a good kick on straightening but was beaten by two better on the day.
Race 9 – Maurice Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1400m – Track Good
Time: 1:21.52 Standard Time: 1:21.85 Course/Class record: 1:20.62 Preciousship
MARKWIN (AUS 4yo g I Am Invincible - Mark Two) scored back-to-back wins to continue his rise through the grades. From barrier 12, Derek Leung worked across and tried to find a spot one off the rail, instead he was left racing three-wide with cover as they sorted their order out. He cruised around in the back half of the field during the race, racing comfortably before peeling out at the top of the straight to make his charge. He stormed home down the middle of the track to hit the front with 100m to run and pull away for a very impressive victory, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths. CHARMING LEGEND rolled forward from barrier 10 and got across to sit on the outside of the leader on settling down. He was racing a little keenly early on under James McDonald who was finally able to get the gelding to relax as they turned off the back of straight. He travelled much better around the home turn and moved up strongly to the leader on straightening. He quickened powerfully to hit the front without McDonald asking for a full effort yet and he broke clear of most of his rivals. It was only Markwin down the outside who could get the better of Charming Legend, who finished a comfortably second. BEAUTY CRESCENT closed off well for third from midfield to grab the final placing in a photo finish.
Race 10 – Highland Reel Handicap, HK $2,840,000
Class 2 – Turf - Distance 1400m – Track Good
Time: 1:21.29 Standard Time: 1:21.65 Course/Class record: 1:20.28 Fantastic Treasure
Joao Moreira didn't leave Sha Tin without a win, scoring the final race of the night aboard PACKING HERMOD (AUS 4yo g Rubick – Black Tulip) for Francis Lui, who finished the day with a winning quartet. The four-year-old got away on terms and despite being ridden along by Moreira in the early stages, the Brazilian could only slot him into a midfield position sitting one off the fence. The pace came out of the race as they worked around the home turn, and Packing Hermod was again under pressure a long way from home under Moreira, but he swung wide on straightening and was making some ground. It took the four-year-old some time to work through his gears, but it was inside the final 150m where he really made his mark, storming over the top of the leader and proving too strong to win by a neck on the line. RUBYLOT had made a long run from well back in the field to finish in second position. After being near last on the turn, Lyle Hewitson had plenty of time and space to make his challenge down the middle of the course. Rubylot was there to pounce if good enough, but he could only manage to run second. CHIU CHOW SPIRIT made his run alongside Rubylot down the stretch and ended up in third place, getting the nod in a photo finish.