New Zealand Bloodstock graduate Cheerful Days’ (Smart Missile) emergence as one of Hong Kong’s most consistent performers elevated sharply at Sha Tin on Thursday when the under-rated gelding provided Francis Lui and Alexis Badel with a Class 1 Chinese New Year Cup Handicap (1400m) triumph.

Stereotyped as a Happy Valley 1650m specialist after four of his first five wins were posted at the City Circuit, Cheerful Days upstaged more accomplished rivals Californiadeepshot and Lucky Express to log his fifth victory from his past six starts.

Given a copybook ride by Badel, the 86-rater drove hard late to clinch his most important success so far to join Hong Kong Classic Mile winner, the unbeaten Romantic Warrior, as the only horses to win five races in Hong Kong this season.

“It was a great win from the horse, we knew he had improved so much. He’s been very consistent at Happy Valley and we came back to a shorter trip from where he’s been winning as well, so today was a great challenge,” Badel said.

Lui will next target the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge Finale at Happy Valley on 23 February, when the Smart Missile gelding will return to his most successful course and distance in search of a share of the HK$1 million bounty on offer in the lucrative series.

Cheerful Days was purchased by Waikato Bloodstock in partnership with Kangyu International Racing from Ainsley Downs Stud’s 2018 Book 1 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales draft.