Michael Chang will consider a tilt at the HK$4,2 million Gr3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap on 31 May with Lady’s Choice after the much-improved gelding upstaged a class field of rising talents to win the Class 2 Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road Handicap at Sha Tin on Saturday.
By Charm Spirit, Lady’s Choice (119lb) led all the way under Matthew Poon to score at odds of 13/1, defeating Bottomuptogether (132lb) by three quarters of a length with Tomodachi Kokoroe (120lb) a head further way in third.
Lady’s Choice stays on under Matthew Poon (Pic – HKJC)
Clocking 1m 08.44s, the five-year-old posted his fourth win of the season and took his earnings beyond HK$10 million for connections, the HK Association of Lady Horse Lovers, having started this preparation on a mark of 66.
Rated 87 before Saturday’s race, Lady’s Choice was brilliantly rated in the lead by Poon before fending off Bottomuptogether and Tomodachi Kokoroe as Fast Network (135lb) finished fifth with Wunderbar (130lb), eighth.
“He’s now fully mature. Mentally, he’s improved a lot. Last year, he was still mentally a little bit hot but he’s now calmed down a lot. He relaxes, he knows the racing and he tries and he keeps improving,” Chang said. “Maybe I will run him in the Group 3 race at the end of this month. He will carry a light weight, he holds his form well.”
Luke Ferraris keeps Little Paradise beautifully balanced to make it two from two (Pic – HKJC)
Ridden patiently by Luke Ferraris, Little Paradise (133lb) maintained his unbeaten record by landing the Class 4 The Hong Kong Riding For The Disabled Association 50th Anniversary Cup Handicap to provide Jimmy Ting with a double.
Taken to the centre of the track in the straight, the Toronado gelding made it two wins from as many starts, impressing Ferraris.
“He showed his versatility, which is very important for a young horse like him,” Ferraris said. “It was good to see him settle and quicken up when I pushed the button. Hopefully, he continues on this natural improvement path. From indicators, it looks like he’s a horse that we’re going to have fun with, so it will be exciting to see his future.”
Ting also struck with Flash Current (133lb), who posted his second win from five starts with a strong display in the Class 4 Tuen Mun Public Riding School Handicap (1400m), scoring impressively under Zac Purton, who fired in a treble.
Ting said: “It’s my first one (double) for the season and I hope that later I will win more. I need some more winners and I think I can get some.”
Patch Of Stars (134lb) also showcased his potential with an easy win in the Class 4 Lei Yue Mun Public Riding School Handicap, clocking 1m 22.00s under Purton after being eased down over the final 100m.
“He’s only three, still learning and does a little bit wrong,” Purton said. “He wants to grab the bit and get a bit aggressive in the run and in the straight, he was hanging in quite bad. I think there’s a little bit more there and next season when he’s a bit more mature, he’ll start to show his best.”
Purton also partnered Light Years Charm to an eye-catching victory, scoring for David Eustace in the Class 3 Lung Mun Road Handicap after being slowly away.
“He doesn’t make it easy for himself at the start. It didn’t help that prior to the start, he was able to pop the gate open and reverse himself back out so he was thinking he was going to do the same thing again,” Purton said.
“So, he was right on the back of the gates and flopped out. They didn’t go fast which was a concern and I was in a bad spot, so I had no option but to ride for luck – and luckily the runs came. He won well and there’s more to come because he cooks himself before the start.
“Next season, hopefully he’s better.”
Charming Steed continued his excellent form on the dirt with victory in the Class 4 Pok Fu Lam Riding School Handicap (1650m, dirt) for Ellis Wong. Trained by Caspar Fownes, the Hong Kong International Sale graduate has won three of his past four starts on the dirt, as well as slotting a runners-up effort on the surface.
Benno Yung’s Jolly Jumper broke through at his ninth start with success in the Class 5 Castle Peak Handicap (1600m) for Britney Wong before Moon Rocket underlined his promise for Danny Shum with victory in the Class 4 Chai Wan Road Handicap (1000m) for Derek Leung.
Dragon Air Force (122lb) claimed his third win of the season for Ricky Yiu with a courageous performance for Matthew Chadwick in the Class 3 Lei Yue Mun Park Handicap (1650m, dirt) before James Orman notched his sixth win in Hong Kong when Francis Lui’s Call Me Glorious landed the Class 3 Pok Fu Lam Country Park Handicap (1200m).
- Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday 14 May.
