Pierre Ng isn’t one to shirk a challenge. The second season trainer leads the championship by 12 wins and he is remaining optimistic of securing a first Group 1 when Taj Dragon and Galaxy Patch take aim at the world’s best sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse, in the HK$13 million Gr1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on 10 March.
Taj Dragon is a Group 3 winner over 1400m in Hong Kong (Pic – HKJC)
The Group 3-winning Taj Dragon is a five-time winner over seven furlongs at Sha Tin, while rising star Galaxy Patch is set to feature on the seven-day back-up following a Class 2 test over 1000m this Sunday.
“Taj Dragon has been going really well this season. His next run will be the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup and Hugh Bowman will be aboard him,” Ng said. “Hopefully he can manage to run a good race and pick up prize money for us.”
Taj Dragon’s biggest scalp came in the HK$4.2 million Gr3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup Handicap. He was seventh in the HK$13 million Gr1 Centenary Sprint Cup last start.
“Lucky Sweynesse is a very good horse and he’s also run against California Spangle. Beauty Eternal races this weekend – all are good horses. Hopefully we can beat them,” Ng said.
Ng has entered Taj Dragon in Dubai’s Gr1 Al Quoz Sprint on 30 March.
“We have to see how he runs, if he gets an invitation from Dubai, we will go for it and if not, we’ll stay here and race over the mile,” Ng said.
The Mehmas gelding is rated 111. He’s raced 14 times in Hong Kong after arriving as a three-time winner in Great Britain for Karl Burke. He finished fourth in a barrier trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning.
“He’s a northern hemisphere horse and he’ll probably improve a little bit as he gets older – he’s still young and it is only his second season,” Ng said.
Ng is expecting to be double-handed in the Group 1 feature as Galaxy Patch is engaged exactly seven days after racing this weekend down the straight course.
“He definitely has the potential to be a top horse. We’re putting him in this Sunday in a 1000 metre race to make him more settled for the (Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup) next week – hopefully he can get a Group 1 to prove himself at this level and be a nicer horse in future,” Ng said.
Galaxy Patch is a four-time winner from six starts. He arrived in Hong Kong as a one-time winner in Australia.
Ng is preparing Ka Ying Generation for Sunday’s HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin, the second leg of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
“He’s been doing very well. He pulled up very well from his last race when he won over 2000 metres. He drops back to 1800 metres this time and it’s a little bit short but I think he can manage it,” Ng said. “He trialled well the other day with Andrea Atzeni aboard. We’re looking for a very good run here and he’s definitely a stayer.”
Ka Ying Generation scored at odds of 17/1 last start in Class 3 at Sha Tin. The son of Churchill was previously trained by Donnacha O’Brien in Ireland.
Ng has banked HK$64.79 million in stakes this season. He has six entries at Happy Valley on Wednesday as he aims to build on his 49 wins so far, including Aestheticism in the Class 3 Tsing Yi Handicap.
“I’m pretty happy, the team is happy and hopefully we can win more races each month,” Ng said. “He’s (Aestheticism) been running well this season. He ran fourth last time and Zac Purton is on this time.”
The midweek fixture at Happy Valley commences at 12h40 with the Class 5 Sai Kung Handicap.
