3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Wan Chai Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1800m – Track Good
Time: 1:49.54 Standard Time: 1:50.05 Course/Class record: 1:48.33 Success Allstars
ARTHUR'S KINGDOM (IRE 7yo g Camelot – Grand Lodge) got the night underway with an all-the-way victory for Karis Teetan and Me Tsui. From barrier eight, the gelding was punched forward by Teetan to take up the running approaching the winning post and led comfortably heading out of the straight. The Mauritian hoop continued to hold his length advantage throughout the middle stages with no pressure being applied. Despite leading comfortably, he kept running along at a good tempo and was travelling strongly up to the turn. He was there to be beaten if his rivals were good enough, though Aruther's Kingdom was able to extend his lead in the run to the line, easing up close to home to win by 1-3/4 lengths in fine style. FRUITY WARRIOR was sent forward off an inside draw for Brenton Avdulla, finding the back of the lead on settling down. The Australian remained in that position right through the middle stages, keeping the leader within striking distance and looking to have plenty up his sleeve as they swung into the straight. He was there to win if he was good enough Fruity Warrior, though the leader kicked away in the straight and wasn't to be caught. RIGHT HONOURABLE closed off strongly from well back in the field to finish an eye-catching third, though he was 3-1/4 lengths off the winner.
Race 2 – Quarry Bay Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.59 Standard Time: 1:10.15 Course/Class record: 1:09.17 Alloy King
Hugh Bowman and Caspar Fownes combined in the second event with SKY SONG (AUS 4yo g No Nay Never – Highly Valued) scoring his maiden victory. The gelding showed good speed from barrier four and rolled forward to eventually slot into a position on the leader's back. The pace slackened as they turned off the back straight with the field bunching up, but Bowman and the four-year-old travelled well up to the bend as the leader tried to kick away on straightening. A gap appeared early in the straight and it took the gelding a little while to wind up, but when he did, he took control, hitting the front with 50m to run and getting the job done by a half-length. SPEEDY CHARIOT wasn't the fastest away off the inside alley but managed to hold a position midfield and along the inside. He raced on the back of the eventual winner through the middle stages before Avdulla got away from the inside and began working into the race. He ended up down the middle of the track in the straight, making his charge very late to run into second position. WOODFIRE CHAMP was able to control the race from the front and stacked up his rivals turning off the back straight. Keith Yeung gave his mount every chance, with the gelding sprinting well and finishing just three-quarters of-a-length away.
Race 3 – North Point Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:10.17 Standard Time: 1:10.00 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
COLONEL (NZ 8yo g Ferlax – Outrageous Fortune) bounced straight to the front for Matthew Chadwick and proved far too good in his second run for the new stable. The eight-year-old bounced quickly from gate five and went straight to the front under the local hoop, setting a solid tempo through the early stages. The pace never really slackened as they turned off the back, though Colonel did break clear just a touch approaching the home turn. Early in the straight, his margin had grown even bigger with Chadwick scraping the inside rail down to the line. He wasn't to be caught as he led all the way to win by 1-1/2 lengths. DENFIELD was snagged to the tail of the field by Hugh Bowman after jumping from a wide alley. After still being last in the run swinging for home, the Australian jockey got to the outside and was trying to pick his way between runners, getting some contact passing the 150m point. He was able to fight through the contact and knuckle down late, charging to the line to hit the post locked together with TALENTS SUPREMO, with the pair dead heating. Talents Supremo had been racing in a midfield position between horses in the run, with Karis Teetan moving into the three-wide line and beginning to make his move with 400m remaining. He had plenty of galloping room and clear air out wide as he ran home strongly out wider on the course. He may have been peaking on his run late, but he lost no admirers as he hit the line locked together with Denfield.
Race 4 – Kwun Tong Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.29 Standard Time: 1:40.20 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
It was Pierre Ng and Karis Teetan who came out on top in a tight finish to race four, with WINNING STEPS (AUS 6yo g Pierro – Crystal Fairy) getting the nose down where it mattered most. From the wide draw, Karis Teetan took the gelding to the tail of the field and settled in a clear last position. The race unfolded in front of him, and he found himself a long way off the main group turning off the back straight as the pace went right up. The six-year-old was under heavy pressure prior to the 400m mark and he was a whopping 8 lengths off the leader with 400m remaining. He came around the turn and swung the widest in the straight, staying on strongly down the outside but he was still many lengths off the leaders with 100m to run. The horses were stopping in front of him, but Winning Steps certainly wasn't as he came home with a wet sail to stick his nose in front in the final bound. PRINCE ALEX initially settled near the tail of the field heading out of the straight on the first occasion but took off after entering the back straight to scoot around the outside of the field. Harry Bentley shot around to take the lead with 650m remaining and the field broke apart turning off the back. He led turning for home and was still a length in front with 100m remaining, though he was beginning to feel the pinch late. He was fighting hard despite tiring and it would take Winning Steps to come in the last stride to knock him off. FOREMOST TEDDY had been in a handy position throughout the event, sitting close to the speed for Zac Purton. When the midrace move came, Purton was keen to keep the leaders within striking distance, moving to a clear third along the inside rail and getting off heels early in the straight to make his challenge. He was still a length off the leader with 100m to run but sustained a strong effort all the way to the line. He would only end up a head off the winner in a very gutsy performance.
Race 5 – Central Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:39.55 Standard Time: 1:40.00 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
NOBLE PURSUIT (NZ 5yo g Savabeel – Okahu Bay) made it a winning double on the night for both Hugh Bowman and Caspar Fownes as they teamed up once again. The five-year-old was a little awkward into stride and settled in a midfield position heading into the first turn. They were still sorting their positions out up front as they entered the back straight, with Bowman now a little worse than midfield with 900m remaining. The Australian jockey didn't sit there for long though, with Bowman pulling into the three-wide trail and improving his position down the back straight. He was left racing wide and without cover around the turn as he continued to roll forward, but the galloper was travelling strongly as he ended up near the middle of the course on straightening. He loomed up on the outside of the leader and after a couple of bumps with 200m remaining, he took the lead. Noble Pursuit was far too strong in the latter stages of the race, running away from his rivals in the last 50m to win by 1-1/4 lengths. I CAN was caught wide in the early stages of the race as he was unable to slot in from barrier 11, and with 1000m to run Andrea Atzeni was left facing the breeze. Atzeni rolled on through the middle stages to move up and sit on the outside of the leader as they turned off the back straight with the pace not overly strong passing the 500m mark. The sprint came on as they swung into the straight, with I Can and Noble Pursuit bumping early in the straight. Despite the contact, the pair battled it out until the 100m point where Noble Pursuit began to draw away. He was good I Can, but he found one better on the night. CHAIN OF GOLD stormed home impressively in the run to the line to grab third position.
Race 6 – Kwun Tong Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.01 Standard Time: 1:49.85 Course/Class record: 1:48.10 Acclaimed Light
ROCKET SPADE (AUS 7yo g Fastnet Rock – Affairoftheheart) seured his first win for over 1200 days and his first in Hong Kong, with Caspar Fownes and Hugh Bowman again combining, making it a winning treble for trainer and jockey. After jumping well from a middle barrier, Bowman let the race unfold in front of him as the gelding slid back to sit near the tail of the field. Not a lot changed through the middle stages of the race as the tempo remained even, with Bowman still sitting toward the back of the pack. Coming to the 500m point he began to make his move, pinching runs between horses with the seven-year-old travelling strongly into the straight. The seas parted in front of Rocket Spade on straightening, and he quickened well when asked for an effort, bursting through to hit the front with 150m left to go. He was able to fend off his challengers right down to the wire, winning by a half-length. SUPER UNICORN was given every possible chance by Zac Purton as he put the gelding into a handy position early in the event. Racing in the one-out-one-back position throughout, Purton had the leading division within striking distance turning for home but ended up out in the middle of the course on straightening with a runner to his inside hanging around the turn. He hit the front momentarily with 200m to run before he was gunned down by Rocket Spade shortly after. He didn't let the winner get away, but he wasn't clawing back the margin either, finishing a half-length away. COURIER MAGIC was alongside Rocket Spade in the run and made their challenges together when the gap came. He was sound to the line, beaten 2 lengths as he just found a couple better.
Race 7 – North Point Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.92 Standard Time: 1:10.00 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
SPICY GOLD (AUS 5yo g So You Think – Spectrolite) made it back-to-back wins either side of the summer break, scoring by a neck on his seasonal return. The five-year-old jumped on terms and landed in a midfield position one off the fence as they settled into stride. The pace was good throughout the race, with the front runners setting a strong tempo up front. Spicy Gold came off the bit with around 500m remaining, but he continued to improve under the riding of Alex Badel as the Frenchman got his mount into the clear shortly after straightening. He came with a sustained effort down the outside, hitting the front with 50m to run and holding his rivals right to the post. SHINKANSEN ended up in the second half of the field on settling, sitting on the back of Spicy Gold in the run. Matthew Chadwick had the gelding travelling well through the middle stages as he tracked the eventual winner up to the home turn. Chadwick swung wide on the bend to make his run down the middle of the course, coming out after Spicy Gold in the closing stages. It wasn't enough though as he ran into second position, with the winner too strong. GLORY CLOUD sat in the one-out-one-back position throughout the race and peeled out at the top of the stretch ominously. He lacked a little bit of dash when Bowman asked for an effort, with the gelding eventually finishing three-quarters of-a-length away in third, being run down late in the race.
Race 8 – Causeway Bay Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1000m – Track Good
Time: 56.96 Standard Time: 56.70 Course/Class record: 55.85 Stoltz
RED ELEGANCE (AUS 5yo g Toronado – Esteemed Elegance) continued his solid run of form from the end of last season, returning a winner for Matthew Chadwick and Douglas Whyte. The grey fellow needed some luck from a wide alley and despite some good riding from the local hoop, the five-year-old was left wide and without cover. The pace was strong up front and Red Elegance didn't quite handle the home turn all that well, hanging out and ending up down the middle of the track on straightening. Even with the run that he had, the grey gelding was coming home strongly out wide and took the lead with 100m left to run. There were a couple of challengers back to his inside, but Red Elegance was too strong late, winning by a half-length to end the night. ETERNAL FORTUNE raced to the inside of Red Elegance in the run for Lyle Hewitson. From his midfield position, the South African jockey initially attempted to make his run out wide on the course, before being chopped off and forced back to the inside at the top of the straight. Hewitson was able to work his way through the traffic, bursting between runners to make a late charge. It wasn't enough though as the winner had all the momentum down the outside. ATMOMIC FORCE stuck on well after racing on the back of the leader throughout the event, sticking to the inside under Harry Bentley and ending up just a length away.
