Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Sha Tin races.
Lucky Sweynesse was handed his second defeat of the year as Brenton Avdulla landed his first feature win in Hong Kong. Keagan De Melo ended the card with a race-to-race double while Francis Lui and David Hall shared training honours, both training a winning double.
Race 1 – Contract Bridge 1400m Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1400m - Track Good
Time: 1:22.47 Standard Time: 1:22.35 Course/Class record: 1:21.53 Exponents
Karis Teetan got things underway with an easy victory aboard GLUCK RACER (AUS 6yo g Super One – Keep The Filly) for Cody Mo. The gelding jumped on terms but drifted back from the draw to settle near the tail of the field. He raced three-wide in the run, but did have cover throughout. He was already under heavy pressure with 600m remaining but was inching closer and closer around the turn. Teetan was beyond the middle of the track in the straight but continued to grind away down the outside. He was doing his best work late, surging to the front with 100m to run and drawing clear to win by 1-1/4 lengths in easy style. FORTUNE MASTER was next across the line. He was slowly into stride and had settled to the inside of the eventual winner. Brenton Avdulla stuck to the inside turning for home but plenty of gaps opened up for him to have an unimpeded run. He was no match for the winner, but he stuck on gamely to claim second close to the line. PROSECCO jumped favourite and ran third.
Race 2 – Cycling 1200m Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.31 Standard Time: 1:09.40 Course/Class record: 1:08.40 Master Eight
TELECOM DRAGON (NZ 3yo c Derryn – Coimbra) brought up Hugh Bowman's first win of the afternoon. The colt jumped on terms and was running about midfield on settling down as Bowman got across to the inside rail. The pace was good through the middle stages and the three-year-old was able to improve his position as he scraped the point. The field fanned turning for home and Bowman stuck close to the inside, getting underneath plenty of rivals but was still some two or three lengths off the leader with a furlong to run. The colt showed maturity above his age to dig deep over the concluding stages, rattling home inside the final 100m to stick his nose in front in the final strides, scoring in a photo finish. REGENT GLORY rolled forward from out wide to sit close to the speed, taking a sit off the leader on settling down. Karis Teetan used the leader as a bunny, creeping closer around the home turn before going up to take the lead with 200m to run. It looked as though he'd run away with an impressive victory, but he began to tire late in the race and was caught in the shadows of the post. KA YING CHEER stuck on gamely for third after setting up the quick tempo in the run. He burned across from the wide draw to lead and couldn't keep up in the closing stages.
Race 3 – Fencing 1200m Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:09.91 Standard Time: 1:09.40 Course/Class record: 1:08.40 Master Eight
It was a tight finish to race three, but Danny Shum's CHAMPION METHOD (AUS 3yo g I Am Invincible - Hijack Hussy) came out on top. The gelding was away on terms and was sent forward by Andrea Atzeni, eventually working across to sit outside the leader as they settled into stride. After sitting on the pace throughout, he ran to the lead at the top of the straight and had plenty of horses coming at him. The three-year-old wouldn't lie down as rivals got to him, holding them at bay and getting his nose down on the line to salute in a three-way photo finish. RUBYLOT was second across the line having had the back of the eventual winner throughout the race. He peeled off his back at the top of the stretch to mount his challenge but was unable to run over the top of him in the closing stages. CHAMPION INSTINCT was third in that running line, settling on the back of Rubylot and had his chance to win if good enough. He was only beaten narrowly on the line, but was unable to end up in front.
Race 4 – Golf 1600m Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1600m - Track Good
Time: 1:35.19 Standard Time: 1:35.00 Course/Class record: 1:33.78 Morethanlucky
It was an emphatic all-the-way victory for CHANCHENG GLORY (US 3yo g Mor Spirit – Solid Scam) with Harry Bentley rating him beautifully in front. He was away well and was ridden along by Bentley to try and find the front, setting the tempo and not having any pressure from his outside. They rolled along at an even gallop and the gelding looked as though he'd run his race early in the straight, just plugging away under heavy pressure and running about at the 300m point. But the three-year-old showed plenty of heart, pulling clear inside the final 200m, and leading all the way for an impressive 1-1/4 length win. MASTER HERO had sat outside the leader throughout the event but couldn't match it over the closing stages. He finished a clear second on the line but was no match for the winner. AESTHETICISM made good ground late in the piece to finish third in a three-way photo finish.
Race 5 – The Hong Kong China's Asian Games Medallists Cup (Handicap), HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1000m - Track Good
Time: 56.90 Standard Time: 56.25 Course/Class record: 54.89 Voyage Warrior
Hugh Bowman brought up a winning double as INVINCIBLE SAGE (AUS 4yo g Thronum – Thorsborne) bought up his first win in Hong Kong. The gelding flopped out the back from barrier 1 and Bowman looked to work across to the outside rail. He was second-last on settling down, but was improving nicely under his own steam approaching the 400m point. Bowman switched back to the centre of the track where he was able to burst though a gap at about the furlong pole. The gelding sprinted quickly as he went up to take the lead inside the final 100m, before pulling away to win very easily by 1-1/4 lengths. SUPER COMMANDER had been running on the pace throughout the event and stuck on well under Karis Teetan to finish in second position, with FLYING HIGH rounding out the placings.
Race 6 – Rowing 1400m Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1400m - Track Good
Time: 1:22.03 Standard Time: 1:22.10 Course/Class record: 1:20.80 Perfect Pair
FUN TOGETHER (NZ 5yo g Rip Van Winkle – Honorjeu) handed Benno Yung his second winner this term. The gelding jumped well under Jerry Chau as the local hoop rolled forward, eventually landing in the one-out-one-back position. The pace was good, and the gelding found himself in prime position through the middle stages, waiting until they'd turned for home before popping out into the clear. Chau was absolutely swinging off the five-year-old at the top of the straight as he began to eat into the margin, before running to the lead with 200m remaining as the local jockey pressed the button. Once he got to the front it was all over, with the gelding holding on to win by a half length on the line. HOLY LAKE had been on the back of the eventual winner in the run and peeled out rounding the home turn to stake his claims. He had the entire straight to get past the eventual winner but could not and was forced to settle for second. OWNERS' PRAISE was strung up in traffic for much of the race, but Purton was able to weave his way through traffic in the straight, with the gelding running on nicely to grab third.
Race 7 – The Premier Bowl (Handicap), HK $5,350,000
Group Two – Turf – Distance 1200m - Track Good
Time: 1:08.27 Standard Time: 1:08.20 Course/Class record: 1:07.50 Sacred Kingdom
There was a boil over in the feature event of the day as SIGHT SUCCESS (AUS 7yo g Magnus – Tarp) gave Brenton Avdulla his first feature win in Hong Kong and his second win this term. He bounced well and poked up to force his rivals to work a little bit harder heading into the first turn. Avdulla had the back of the hot favourite in running and stalked him wherever he went. He came off heels midway down the straight and was inching closer and closer as the race continued. He showed plenty of heart close to the line, getting in front in the final few strides and scoring by a short head in a close photo finish. LUCKY SWEYNESSE was defeated for a second time this season, but it did look a much better run than his fresh effort. He was made to work early by the eventual winner and had to carry top weight in the event. He can continue his improvement and notch up his first win this season. DUKE WAI didn't have much luck in the straight, but finished third in what was a good return to Hong Kong.
Race 8 – Rugby Sevens 1400m Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf – Distance 1400m - Track Good
Time: 1:21.33 Standard Time: 1:21.80 Course/Class record: 1:20.62 Preciousship
It was another impressive all-the-way victory as MASSIVE ACTION (NZ 6yo g Reliable Man – Classical) proved far too good. The flashy grey bounced out of the barriers brilliantly and led his rivals by over a length within a matter of strides, allowing Hewitson to cross to the lead from out wide. There wasn't a whole lot of pressure up front, but the pace was still genuine as the six-year-old kicked away at the top of the straight. He wouldn't be caught down the straight, going on to win by 1-1/4 lengths in very impressive fashion. TAMRA BLITZ was making plenty of ground late in the race as he scraped along the inside rail. He was technically on the back of the leader in the run but looked to be going backward at the top of the straight. He rallied again close to home to run into second. CHIU SHOW SPIRIT had gotten past Tamra Blitz in the straight but looked to tire late in the race. He held on for third in a close finish with race favourite Golden Samurai in fourth.
Race 9 – Swimming 1800m Handicap, HK $3,120,000
Class 2 – Turf – Distance 1800m - Track Good
Time: 1:46.87 Standard Time: 1:47.40 Course/Class record: 1:45.88 Solar Hei Hei
Keagan De Melo popped up in race 9 to salute aboard RISHING FROM ASHES (AUS 6yo g Shamus Award – Tear Gas) at a big price. He was away only fairly but settled midfield in the run, settling along the inside rail. Some rivals moved away from the inside allowing De Melo to stick to the inside and pinch runs to take the lead with 150m. There was a wall behind him, but it didn't matter as the six-year-old won by a neck on the line. NIMBLE NIMBUS charged home down the outside to claim second in a tight finish for the placings, with FIVE G PATCH also rattling home out wider to grab third in a photo finish.
Race 10 – Equestrian 1400m Handicap, HK $2,840,000
Class 2 – Turf – Distance 1400m - Track Good
Time: 1:21.46 Standard Time: 1:21.55 Course/Class record: 1:20.28 Fantastic Treasure
ATULLIBIGEAL (AUS 5yo g Street Boss – Kellys Ocean Jewel) bought up a race-to-race double to end the card for Keagan De Melo. He jumped fairly from an inside barrier and again settled midfield in the run with a good go for the lead early in the race. There was no change to the order through the middle stages as the field spread across the track heading into the straight, allowing the gelding to be just 2-1/2 lengths off the leader. He was strung up for a run early in the straight, before pushing his way between runners and bursting through with 200m remaining. He charged home to take the lead close to the finish line and score by a head. ALACRITY had settled back in the run but Purton had steered him to perfection inside the final 600m. The Australian hoop was weaving through traffic and looked the winner a furlong from home. He shot to the front but couldn't fend off the winner who got over the top of him late. SAUVESTRE kicked clear at the top of the straight and held on gamely for third in a great effort.
