3 minute read
Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Daejeon Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1800m – Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:50.38
David Hayes and Harry Bentley combined to win the opening event of the day with DASHING MAURISON (AUS 3yo g Maurice – Stella Street) at his first try over 1800m. The gelding jumped well and the English hoop rolled forward from barrier nine to take up the running on settling down. Once he got to the front, Bentley was able to slow the tempo down, stacking the field up coming to the 1000m point. The three-year-old was forced to quicken down the back as he was challenged up front, but he held his advantage by the 500m point and looked to kick clear as they turned off the back. Dashing Maurison was well in front as they swung around the home turn and still had plenty to offer for Harry Bentley, with the three-year-old kicking away from his rivals. Bentley eased the gelding down over the closing stages to win by 2-1/2 lengths. SPLENDID FORCE jumped on terms from an inside barrier and was urged along by Matthew Chadwick to try and hold a position in the early stages. He couldn't match the early speed of some of his rivals and ended up in a midfield position along the fence on settling down. Chadwick remained in that position throughout the run and stuck to the fence around the home turn, sliding up the rail to make his move in the straight. He never went around a horse as he ran to second coming to the 100m point, running into a clear second. FAMILY FORTUNE stormed home from last place on the turn to get into third position, stealing the final placing in a three-way photo finish down the middle of the course.
Race 2 – Yeongcheon Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 5 – Turf – Distance 1200m – Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:09.48
David Hayes quickly made it a race-to-race double to kick start the evening, with HONEST WITNESS (AUS 4yo g Written By – Sudden Wealth) scored his second victory in succession. The $2.5 favourite fired out of the barriers and went straight to the lead under Zac Purton, leading comfortably around the first turn as they went along at a strong tempo. Purton tried to slow things down through the middle stages. Stacking the field up before kicking away again as they worked around the home turn. The gelding sprinted away very impressively and never looked like getting beaten, running away from his rivals to score by 4-3/4 lengths in very impressive fashion. GOLDEN FRIENDSHIP was on the back of the leader in the run for Dylan Mo and followed Honest Witness into the race as he kicked clear from the 400m point. He was no match for the winner, but he stuck on gamely after taking second position, finishing a length clear of his nearest rival. THE PERFECT MATCH came down the outside after being in the second half of the field on straightening to finish in third position, ending up 5-3/4 lengths off the winner.
Race 3 – Daegu Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 2200m – Track Good to Yielding
Time: 2:16.79
It was an upset in race three with $88 chance SUPER GOLDENDRAGON (IRE 4yo g Kitten's Joy – La Australiana) breaking his maiden at his first try over 2200m. He jumped well from barrier six and rolled forward to be close to the speed in the opening stages with the four-year-old racing a little keen through the opening stages. He ended up in the one-out-one-back position with a lap to go and Derek Leung was urging his mount along to try and hold that position down the side of the course. He was drifting back through the middle stages, now in a midfield position between horses as they travelled down the back straight. The $88 chance then got on his bike, improving into the race as they turned off the back and running into a wall of horses on the home turn. Leung went back to the inside on straightening, coming up underneath his rivals to hit the front with 150m to run and keeping them at back to the wire, scoring by a length on the line. DOUBLE WIN settled in the second half of the field for Vincent Ho, before moving into the three-wide line through the middle stages. When the moves came, Ho was able to track them into the race and the gelding looked to be travelling very well around the home turn. The local hoop was the widest on straightening and loomed as a winning hope with 150m remaining. He couldn't get by Super Goldendragon however, finishing in second position as a $14 chance. The placings were rounded out by JOYFUL PROSPERITY, who jumped a $12 chance. He was left racing three-wide throughout the race but worked into the event strongly on the home turn. He felt the pinch late in the race, though he was able to hold on for third position in a photo finish.
Race 4 – Yeongcheon Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 5 – Turf – Distance 1200m – Track Good to Yielding
Time: 1:10.23
FIND MY LOVE (GB 7yo g Frankel – Spring In The Air) picked up his first win in over a year, scoring narrowly for Douglas Whyte and Hugh Bowman. The gelding ended up in a midfield position from barrier two, kicking up around the home turn to take a position along the rail. The speed was good throughout and Bowman was able to pinch some runs along the inside by the 500m point. He then pushed his way to the middle of the track around the home turn, giving the leader four or five lengths at the top of the straight. The horses in front of him were beginning to feel the pinch and Find My Love kept grinding away, coming down the outside to steal the victory in the final strides. WINNING NOW rolled forward from barrier seven to find the front down the back straight. He ran along at a good tempo under Karis Teetan and remained to the inside part of the track on straightening. He was still in front with 50m to run but was feeling the pinch late. He was only caught in the shadows by Find My Love, going under by a short head officially. CROSSBORDERDUDE had his chance if good enough in the run to the line. Purton had him within striking distance on the turn and presented the gelding to win in the straight, but he couldn't get the job done, finishing just a head off the winner in third.
Race 5 – The Korea Racing Authority Trophy (Handicap), HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.86
GAMEPLAYER ELITE (BRZ 6yo g Kentuckian – Over Cat) made it a winning double for both Harry Bentley and Douglas Whyte on the card. The ghostly grey jumped well from the inside barrier and was able to hold a forward position on settling down, racing just off the speed through the middle stages. The leader was setting a strong tempo up front and broke away from the pack, but Bentley was still within striking distance around the turn with the Englishman getting off the fence and to the outside on straightening. He came down the outside with a strong run, skipping through the soggy track to hit the front with 50m to go and get the job done, with the official margin being three quarters of a length. SUPERB KING took up the running from barrier six and wasn't hanging about in front. Britney Wong extended her margin through the middle stages and led by a big margin around the home turn. The apprentice hoop was urging her mount along in the straight, but he was feeling the pinch after spending his tickets early. He was claimed with 50m to run but held on to run second in a strong performance. VIGOR ELLEEGANT finished off well from a midfield position under Matthew Chadwick to finish in third position, doing his best work late in the race.
Race 6 – Incheon Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:41.02
ANOTHER ZONDA (AUS 5yo g The Autumn Sun – Miss Marielle) returned to winning ways, saluting as an $11 chance for Me Tsui and Matthew Chadwick. The local jockey pressed forward from barrier seven to take up the running after sitting wide around the first turn. Once he got to the front, Chadwick put the brakes on and steadied the tempo, packing the field through the middle stages before letting rip again as they reached the 500m point. He was only a half-length in front around the home turn, but he kicked strongly to pinch a little break on straightening and that was pivotal to his chances. He and Mighty Steed fought out the finish over the final 100m, with Another Zonda clinging on by the skin of his teeth to score in a photo finish. MIGHTY STEED was four-wide into the first turn but continued to roll forward to be on the outside of the leader throughout the race. Zac Purton was poised to strike around the home turn, though he didn't quicken as well as Another Zonda did on straightening. That was the crucial moment of the race, with Mighty Steed coming back strongly in the dying stages but running out of time to stick his nose in front. NEVER TOO SOON ran on from midfield to be a neck away in third, showing good late strength under Brenton Avdulla.
Race 7 – Seoul Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 2 – Turf – Distance 1000m – Track Good
Time: 56.81
BOTTOMUPTOGETHER (AUS 5yo g Shamus Award – Miss Ethics) got back to winning ways for the first time in 12 months with Luke Ferraris in the saddle for Frankie Lor. The gelding showed good speed from the outset to settle on the back of the leader on settling down. They were running along at a good tempo and Ferraris was giving the $6 shot every chance in the run, sliding up the fence on straightening to make his move. There was some interference as Ferraris established his run along the inside, but he was able to squeeze through at the furlong pole and take the lead with 100m to run. Once he got through the gap he shot away, proving too strong to win by three quarters of a length. GLOWING PRAISES had a lovely run in transit one-out-one-back and with no weight on his back thanks to Britney Wong's claim. Wong came down the outside with her run, sticking on strongly over the concluding stages to run into second position. COLOURFUL KING was on the back of Glowing Praises in the run and came wider again with his run in the straight. He closed off soundly but never really looked like a winning chance, finishing 1-1/2 lengths off the winner as the race favourite.
Race 8 – Busan Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good
Time: 1:09.95
Douglas Whyte secured his third win of the evening with progressive talent GIANT BALLON (IRE 4yo g Mehmas – Heavenly River) making it a hat-trick of victories. After jumping quickly, Zac Purton took the $2.7 favourite to the race lead around the first turn. Purton had to quicken to hold his position down the back straight, but he railed through to hold the lead through the middle stages and travelled strongly into the4 straight. Purton got off the fence at the top of the straight and the gelding sprinted away from his rivals in impressive fashion, with Giant Ballon leading by three or four lengths with 100m to run. He got very tired close to home though and Flying Wrote came at him strongly in the dying stages, but the post beckoned and Giant Ballon hung on for the win. FLYING WROTE was in the second half of the field for Jerry Chau, racing three-wide and without cover throughout the race. Despite being wide, Chau was able to work into the race under his own steam and unobstructed, cruising around the outside on the home turn and coming down the middle of the track with his run. He didn't loom as a winning chance until the 100m point where he really started to get into the margin of Giant Ballon. He ran out of time to catch the leader, but the first two across the line were well clear of SPIRIT IN PEACE who finished third. He was at the tail of the field around the home turn and weaved his way through traffic in the straight to run into third place in a very good performance.
Race 9 – Jeju Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:39.59
ARMOR GOLDEN EAGLE (NZ 4yo g Ace High – Akerra) made it two wins from his last three starts, getting the job done impressively to bring up Purton's third winner of the evening. After jumping well from barrier four, Purton put himself in a handy position around the first turn, landing on the back of the leader as they sorted their order out. The speed was good through the middle stages and the four-year-old travelled well under Purton, who got off the fence and into the one-out-one-back position by the 800m point. He loomed ominously on the home turn, and the Australian hoop peeled him out at the top of the straight. He quickly put the race to bed when Purton asked for an effort, sprinting away from his rivals to win very comfortably, with the official margin being 3-3/4 lengths. WITHALLMYFAITH moved onto the back of Armor Golden Eagle around the home turn and tracked the eventual winner into the straight. Karis Teetan got off heels and into the clear on straightening, running into second position in the final 50m, but the winner was in a different league. FANTASTIC FUN held on to run third after being on the speed throughout for Ethan Brown and Danny Shum.
