Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Sha Tin races.
The season got underway in slippery conditions as Hong Kong's attention was split between Sha Tin and Korea. The World's Best Sprinter was beaten on a day where 9/10 races saw single-figure winners. Rain during the week saw racing begin on a yielding surface, before improving to good-to-yielding later in the card.
Race 1 – Mount Parker Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1600m - Track Yielding
Time: 1:35.32 Standard Time: 1:35.45 Course/Class record: 1:34.38 Le Panache
The first winner of the new season went to David Hall and Hugh Bowman with DAZZLING FELLOW (AUS 6yo g So You Think – Myamira). He got away on terms from barrier 5 and worked across to settle midfield. The tempo was solid through the middle stages and turning off the back, Bowman had ended up being worse than midfield before beginning to build into the race from the 600m. He tracked into the race beautifully heading into the straight and ambled up to the leaders 250m from home. Bowman shook the reigns and the gelding sprinted clear, pulling away to win very impressively by 2-3/4 lengths. SPLENDID STAR jumped favourite and towed the winner into the race around the turn. He stuck on well to finish a clear second while SUPERB DADDY made up good ground from the rear to finish in third.
Race 2 – Yi Tung Shan Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf – Distance 1200m - Track Track Yielding
Time: 1:09.67 Standard Time: 1:09.40 Course/Class record: 1:08.40 Master Eight
The old saying is "grey horses love the wet" and that was true in the second event with SUPER WINNER (NZ 8yo g Guillotine – Cinnadream) winning comfortably. The gelding was quickly into stride and pressed forward from the wide draw under Angus Chung. Despite leading the field, Chung was kept three-wide turning off the back. Chung continued to roll forward around the turn, but remained three-wide heading into the straight, staying away from the rail. Despite the tough run in transit, he kicked away in the straight and never
gave anything a chance, scoring by 2-1/4 lengths. M UNICORN ran into second position, scraping along the rail after racing toward the back of the field. Favourite FORTUNE WARRIOR finished in last position after jumping at $2.50 with the gelding pulling up with blood in his throat.
Race 3 – Yi Tung Shan Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf – Distance 1200m - Track Track Yielding
Time: 1:10.33 Standard Time: 1:09.40 Course/Class record: 1:08.40 Master Eight
READY TO WIN (NZ 7yo g Tavistock – Sursum Corda) toppled the odds-on favourite in race three, with Hugh Bowman bringing up an early double. After getting away well from barrier 7, the gelding settled midfield with cover and looked to be getting a brilliant run in the race through the opening 600m. Heading into the home turn, Bowman popped off heels and came four-wide into the straight as he ambled up to the leaders. The Australian hoop waited until the 300m before asking the gelding to quicken, which he did. He took the lead 200m from home and was able to hold his rivals at bay close to home, winning by a half-length and knocking over GREENWICH who was backed into $1.60 at the jump. He was slow out of the barriers and raced near the rear of the field. He worked into the straight and was close to the winner 300m from home but was unable to reel him in over the concluding stages.
Race 4 – The HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (Handicap), HK $3,720,000
Class 1 – Turf – Distance 1200m – Track Yielding
Time: 1:09.87 Standard Time: 1:08.60 Course/Class record: 1:07.61 Lucky Patch
The feature of the day went the way of up-and-coming talent VICTOR THE WINNER (AUS 5yo g Toronado - Noetic) as he beat the World's Best Sprinter in tough conditions. He was quickly out of the barriers for Karis Teetan and rolled straight to the front, with the Mauritian setting just a moderate tempo through the middle stages. He led comfortably around the turn before letting rip with a powerful burst at the top of the straight, quickly extending his lead to an insurmountable margin. Teetan got the best out of the gelding and saluted with a big fist pump across the line, rolling LUCKY SWEYNESSE by 2-1/2 lengths. Zac Purton took a trailing position on the five-year-old and loomed into the race as a winning chance at the top of the straight. Both trainer and jockey told steward's post-race that the weight the son of Sweynesse was carrying first-up as well as the interrupted trackwork schedule and yielding track were all factors to the gelding's defeat.
Race 5 – Kowloon Peak Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:10.17 Standard Time: 1:09.75 Course/Class record: 1:08.64 Iron King
Jerry Chau and Pierre Ng combined for their first wins of the new season with an all-the-way victory aboard I GIVE (NZ 5yo g Per Incanto – Grace And Eva) in race five. Although he wasn't the fastest into stride, Chau urged the gelding along from his wide draw to cross runners to his inside, taking the lead at the 800m point despite being away from the rail. The local hoop eventually worked his way down to the inside passing the 600m point and opened a big gap back to his nearest rival as they turned into the straight. The gelding led by 2 lengths at the 400m point and had extended that margin early in the stretch, pulling away under the urgings of Chau at the 200m mark. The runners were beginning to swoop as he got tired close to home, but he'd built enough of a gap to score by 1-1/4 lengths on the line. SMART LEADER made a stack of ground late in the race, coming out beyond the middle of the track to make his run while FIGHTING STAR crossed the line in third, ahead of race favourite Soaring Tower.
Race 6 – Lin Fa Shan Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 57.09 Standard Time: 56.45 Course/Class record: 54.94 United We Stand
Debutant CHAMPION METHOD (AUS 3yo g I Am Invincible – Hijack Hussy) got last year's champion jockey Zac Purton on the board. The gelding jumped well, and Purton rolled across from the inside draw to head toward the favourable grandstand rail down the straight. He raced in line with the leader all the way through the race, but looked as though she was going backwards inside the concluding stages. Purton was throwing everything he had at the three-year-old who looked to lift himself off the canvas and score by a half-length in a very impressive victory. He staved off RUBY SAILING who did look to put the head in front close to home. He stuck on well but couldn't hold off the winner who was too good.
Race 7 – Sunset Peak Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf – Distance 1400m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:22.82 Standard Time: 1:21.80 Course/Class record: 1:20.62 Preciousship
Zac Purton was quick to put up another winner with ALL IS GOOD (AUS 5yo g Press Statement – Lago Joy) scoring by 1-1/2 lengths. The gelding jumped well and rolled forward for Purton, before landing in the one-out-one-back position. He enjoyed a cosy run in transit sitting in behind the leading division before Purton bustled his way into the clear 300m from home. He took control at the 100m mark and proved far too good over the concluding stages, winning by 1-1/2 lengths on the line. BIG RED made good ground from toward the rear, coming down the centre of the track to claim second in a close photo finish while there was a dead heat for third.
Race 8 – Ma On Shan Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf – Distance 1400m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:22.72 Standard Time: 1:22.10 Course/Class record: 1:20.80 Perfect Pair
Top-weight BLUE MARLIN (AUS 5yo g Capitalist – Grenada) bought up Harry Bentley's first winner of the season. The gelding got away well from barrier 2 and settled in behind the leading division. The pace was relatively steady throughout with only a few lengths from first to last. Bentley was in a handy position though and just eased his way into the clear turning for home, getting clear running approaching the 300m point. He let down well to take control with a furlong to run and was too strong at the finish, winning by a length on the line. He beat DIVINE ERA who stuck on well from midfield, narrowly edging out race favourite KASI FARASI down along the inside.
Race 9 – Lantau Peak Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf – Distance 1200m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:09.58 Standard Time: 1:09.05 Course/Class record: 1:08.11 Victor The Winner
Zac Purton was back on the board in the penultimate event with SUPREME LUCKY (AUS 5yo g Deep Field – Stealapipe) leading all the way. Purton pressed on from barrier 7 to take up the running, leading the field as they turned off the back. The tempo was good through the opening stages with Purton not stacking the field up around the turn before kicking clear early in the straight. He shot over a length clear with a furlong to run but was getting tired close to home. He was able to hold on by the barest of margins, winning by a short head ahead of COMPASSION SPIRIT who charged hard from last position on the turn. He just gave up too much of a start at the top of the stretch and was unable to reel in the winner.
Race 10 – Tai Mo Shan Handicap, HK $2,840,000
Class 2 – Turf – Distance 1400m - Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:22.45 Standard Time: 1:21.55 Course/Class record: 1:20.28 Fantastic Treasure
The last event on the card looked the most competitive, and it also produced the longest priced winner of the night with THE GOLDEN SCENERY (AUS 6yo g Deep Field – Saga's Gift) crossing the line first. Brenton Avdulla was able to lob into a perfect position one-out-one-back. After a lovely run in transit, Avdulla popped off heels to lay down his challenge, zooming to the lead 200m from the line. He had a couple of chasers coming at him, but he was able to hold them at bay to score by a half-length on the line. FIND MY LOVE was doing plenty of chasing in the closing stages but was unable to reel in the leader despite the weight difference. SUPPER SUNNY SING was very good late in the piece and looks to have returned in great order.
