Written by Bren O'Brien
Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
In the latest review, an Australian-bred quartet of winners from David Hayes last Friday featured a couple of sprinters who look destined for stardom.
Australian-bred Super Wealthy (Epaulette) secured leading trainer David Hayes his first Group race win in Hong Kong for 17 years, one of four winners for the trainer on a memorable National Day at Sha Tin.
Super Wealthy made it two wins from as many starts this season, with the 6-year-old powering home late to win the G3 National Day Cup H. on a day where eight of the 10 races were won by Australian-bred horses.
Super Wealthy, who had won his only start in Australia for Jason Coyle when named Covert Operation, was a three-time winner for Douglas Whyte as a 4-year-old but went winless as a 5-year-old before joining Hayes' stable this season.
Super Wealthy | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Ridden by Alexis Badel, he announced himself as a serious candidate for the G1 Hong Kong Sprint in December with a win in a Group record time of 54.96s, just 0.28s off the track record.
Hayes indicated the G2 Premier Bowl H. on October 17 was Super Wealthy’s likely springboard into the Hong Kong Sprint on December 12.
“That’s probably a really nice race (Premier Bowl) because he’ll be well in at the handicaps and that will qualify him for the Internationals,” he said. “I would love to go to the Hong Kong Sprint with him. He’s in-form and can run time.”
“I would love to go to the Hong Kong Sprint with him (Super Wealthy). He’s in-form and can run time." - David Hayes
Bred by Kerry O'Brien and a $50,000 Bhima Thoroughbreds graduate from the 2017 Inglis Classic Sale, he was purchased by Familia Nominees and Homann Bloodstock. Super Wealthy is out of American stakes winner Well Hidden (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}).
Well Hidden, who was recently sold through Inglis Digital to Lisa Sheppard for $600 having missed to Hellbent last year, has produced five winners, but this is her first stakes winner. It's another success for former Olympic steeplechaser O'Brien, who bred Group 1 winner Forbidden Love (All Too Hard).
Witness doubles up
Hayes' most impressive winner on the day was Nervous Witness (Star Witness), who took his record to two wins from two starts with a 3.75l success in the Class 3 Shanghai H. over 1000 metres for jockey Zac Purton, giving his trainer his 500th winner in Hong Kong.
"He (Zac) said he’s a Group 1 horse, he said he got put under a lot of pressure from Joao Moreira, he said he just served it to him,” Hayes said. “You’d prefer him not to have that pressure but it’s nice to see how he responded. He responded like a proper horse."
Nervous Witness | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Bred by Byerley Stud in the Upper Hunter Valley, Nervous Witness was a $110,000 2019 Inglis Classic Sale buy for Neerim Lodge. He trialled once in Australia for Robert Hickmott as Bill's Kick and is now owned by the Da Silva family, who had such great success with Silent Witness (El Moxie {USA}).
Nervous Witness is out of War Pass (USA) mare, Hadiklaim, who was purchased for just $2000 as a broodmare in 2015. Hadiklaim won one of her eight starts for Chris Waller in the colours of Debbie Kepitis' Woppitt Bloodstock. Her half-brother Sky Mascot (Show A Heart) was a four-time winner in Hong Kong.
Master blaster
Master Montaro (Toronado {Ire}), found his best form again in winning the Class 2 Beijing H. for Hayes and Purton. Twice a winner in Australia, the 5-year-old has now won three of his 10 starts in Hong Kong for owner Ho Tsz Wan.
“I give all the credit for the win to Zac Purton – of course, the stable has done a great job – it was the best ride he’s done for me since he’s been in Hong Kong,” Hayes said.
Bred by Adam Sangster, Master Montaro was an $80,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase for Woburn Farm, who then sold him to Laming Racing through the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale for NZ$300,000.
“I give all the credit for the win to Zac Purton... it was the best ride he’s done for me since he’s been in Hong Kong." - David Hayes
His dam, Circus Polka (Stravinsky {USA}) has produced four winners, including stakes-placed Modoc (Haradasun).
The fourth winner prepared by Hayes was Lord Thunder (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who maintained his perfect record with his second win, with Blake Shinn guiding him home in the Class 4 Chengdu H.
Bred by Yulong Investments, he was sold as a weanling through the Inglis Great Southern Sale in 2018 for $50,000 to Bleakley Bloodstock. He was then offered by Highden Park at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in 2019, where he was purchased by John Foote Bloodstock for NZ$120,000. He trialled once in Australia under the name You're Thor.
Lord Thunder as a yearling
Hayes was delighted with how his day panned out.
“We’re very lucky to have a lovely young team of horses so it makes it easier to get up in the morning. They’re important horses all of them, we’ve got an excitement machine (Nervous Witness), a very impressive winner in the second (Lord Thunder) and Master Montaro won with some authority, like he’s going places," he said.
Other Australian-bred winners on the card were Copartner Era (Testa Rossa), who was bred by Two Bays Farm and secured his third win for trainer Chris So, veteran Michael Chang-trained galloper Mister Monte (Hussonet {USA}), a product of Rosemont Stud, Bombora Downs graduate All For St Paul's (Magnus) for Frankie Lor and Manx Park-bred Drops Of God (Mossman) for John Size.
“We’re very lucky to have a lovely young team of horses so it makes it easier to get up in the morning." - David Hayes
Good News (NZ) (Rios {NZ}), a NZ$110,000 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run graduate, won on debut for So in the first race on the Sha Tin program.
