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| Rowan Anderson |
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The best of equine athleticism stepped out at Sha Tin for the Hong Kong International Race Day.
With a card that included four Group One feature races the meet had an intense Australian flavour.
It was not just the horses showcased but also the talents of some of the world’s best jockeys.
A treble from the kid from Lismore, ninety minutes from Australia’s Gold Coast, who would go on to pave a career as one of the best imports to ever jockey in Hong Kong – Zac Purton.
One of the three wins coming in the HK $30 Million Group One Hong Kong Mile with California Spangle beating home two-time HK Mile champion Golden Sixty.
On this occasion, in the third battle between the two, it was California Spangle who held off a late challenge from the champion as hoop Vincent Ho surged home late with the 7YO son of Medaglia D’Oro.
Not only was the winning jockey Australian but the national flavour was even stronger with the Annabel Neasham-trained Law of Indices finishing third ridden by the world’s best jockey Australian James McDonald and another Australian jockey Hugh Bowman running fourth on Beauty Joy.
The recently crowned best jockey in world James McDonald added further victory from the Australian contingent winning the Group One Hong Cup on board Romantic Warrior for trainer Danny Shum.
The card was opened with the Beauty Generation Handicap run over 1400m and Purton’s first win from his treble for the meet.
Circuit Mighty stretched his margin to four lengths with 200m left to run with a late challenge brought by Horsesain Bolt, who swept out wide off the back of a great ride from Silvestre de Sousa.
Danny Shum trained the 7YO gelded son of Excelebration, and it would have been a change of scenario with his number one jockey mounting the winner.
Purton’s second win would come in race six in the Jim and Tonic Handicap on board Sweet Encounter, the 4YO gelded son of Toronado.
The win by the John Size-trained runner made it a career of five starts for four wins and a second placing, all run at the Sha Tin track.
Another highlight of the card came from the Englishman who continues the success of a rich racing and riding family adding to their legacy in Ryan Moore.
The year has been a big one for the jockey, adding a win in the HK $24 million Longines Hong Kong Sprint to his CV and a double for the meet.
19 Group Ones are not to be scoffed at and on board the 6YO Wellington, Moore notched up the milestone
Moore also won the Highland Reel Handicap to close out the meet on board Blaze Warrior.
The Falvelon Handicap over 1200m was a battle that resulted in a dead heat for second place, but Mighty Stride took the win for trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai and was ridden by Christophe Lemaire.
The four-year-old is Australian bred and is a Rich Enuff-Show A Princess gelding who backed up his last start win showing his ability on the Sha Tin track over the distance.
Another Australian-bred gelding took out the Lord Kanaloa Handicap (race 3) with Dragon’s Luck, ridden by Lyle Hewitson and trained by former dual Hong Kong champion jockey Douglas Whyte.
South African Whyte was Hong Kong’s champion jockey for 13 consecutive seasons, establishing an incredible legacy retiring from the saddle in February 2019 with a Hong Kong record of 1,813 wins and all-time high prize money of more than HK$1.5 billion.
The first of the Group Ones, the HK $22 million Longines Hong Kong Vase, was won by Australian hoop riding home mare Win Marilyn for trainer Takahisa Tezuka.
Second up after a second placing in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Cup, three months ago, the 5YO got the victory here making it her first Group One win in nine attempts in that company.
By Rowan Anderson