Trainer Danny Shum scored an eventful double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, with the handler jokingly suggesting that his winners Sparkling Talent and Lucky Wan Feng should swap names to better describe the manner of their victories.
Sparkling Talent’s connections celebrate his promoted victory in the Class 5 Po Toi Handicap (1000m), picture Hong Kong Jockey Club
Shum won the opener with Sparkling Talent in the Class 5 Po Toi Handicap (1000m) before later adding the Class 3 Manawatu Racing Club Challenge Trophy Handicap (1200m) with Lucky Wan Feng – but the trainer was in a laughing mood after the latter’s victory.
“Lucky Wan Feng, he’s the talented one, while Sparkling Talent, he’s the lucky one tonight,” Shum said after Lucky Wan Feng scored a strong half-length victory as a 3.8 second favourite in the night’s feature event. “He’s got plenty of ability, Lucky Wan Feng. He’s a talent, that’s for sure. You only need to look at his second start when he won at Sha Tin, or his wins in New Zealand or even his trials. If the real horse turned up, he was going to be hard to beat, but there’s always a question with Happy Valley first time.”
Lucky Wan Feng won a Class 3 over 1200m at Sha Tin in late January, but injured himself in a trial soon after, as Shum recalls: “He hurt his right hind, it wasn’t anything major but it was two months before he was able to trial again.
“After his injury, he ran over the 1000m and lost but I didn’t mind, he was still progressing. The second start back, he got beaten, but I thought he was still a bit soft so I thought he’d just come on for it. Last start, though, he was very disappointing, so I thought I’d try Happy Valley and a fairly quick return to the races to see if it would sharpen him up.”
Shum said much of the credit belonged to Purton, the Australian jockey positioning Lucky Wan Feng on the heels of leader Thor The Greatest before presenting the Darci Brahma four-year-old at the top of the straight.
“Zac gave him a perfect ride for the horse’s first time here at Happy Valley,” the trainer said. “It was exactly what you’d want.”
Lucky Wan Feng wins the night’s feature race, the Class 3 Manawatu Racing Club Challenge Trophy Handicap (1200m), under Zac Purton, picture Hong Kong Jockey Club
As for Sparkling Talent, he was second past the post in his 1000m scamper, charging home to finish a short-head second to Gary Ng-trained Highland Dragon. However, Highland Dragon was relegated to third for interference caused to minor placegetter Rugby Diamond in the home straight, meaning that Sparkling Talent was promoted to first.
“As I said, he was lucky,” Shum said. “He won to start the season but he needs his races to be run just right. Hopefully he can win again next season.”
For Shum, it catapulted the handler into fifth in the trainers’ championship with 47 wins for the season as he leapfrogged Tony Cruz.
Sparkling Talent provided a timely third winner for South African rider Callan Murray, who had not tasted success since his shock G3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m) win on Lucky Year. The young ace, who only has five meetings left in his short-term stint, is hoping that he can end his contract with a bang.
“It was a bit of a surprise, especially because I wasn’t first across the line,” Murray said. “But it’s always a thrill to win a race here, no matter the circumstances.”
Murray was not the only South African Jockey Academy graduate to salute the judge, with Karis Teetan taking the Class 3 Cheung Chau Handicap (1650m) on David Ferraris-trained Kiram.
