Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
The first of the Eustace winners was on the radar, Charity Gain (Ire) (Twilight Son) showing promise when second at his prevoius outing and he was a strong finisher from midifeld.
“You always worry a bit coming to Happy Valley that you need to get the right run but Vincent (Ho Chak-yiu) rode him with confidence,” Eustace told the media. “We were quite confident coming into today that he'd improve a lot; he put the writing on the wall last start.”
The second leg of Eustace's first Hong Kong double was more of a surprise with Young Emperor (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) a long shot winner over the David Hayes-trained, short-priced favourite Romantic Son (Smart Missile).
Hailing from the family of Dubai Millennium (GB), Young Emperor was making his Hong Kong debut and not impressed form students with his trials.
But Eustace has time for the 3-year-old, noting that “his best trial was actually here at the Valley. I thought he was a touch underwhelming in his trials prior to that but I always quite liked him.
“He is a really good-looking horse, and he is by the right sire. He got a great ride from Luke (Ferraris) and he finished off well.”
“But the win, to be honest, did take me by surprise. I just hoped he would run well,” he said, happy to give credit to his assistant trainer Cash Lee Tsz-wai; “I have been away for a couple of days and the team has done such a great job; I think I need to go away more often!” he laughed having been in Melbourne cheering on his brother Harry's horse Docklands (GB) (Massaat ({Ire}) to a G1 W.S Cox Plate fifth.
A double for Purton
There was another double with Australian connections, this time in regards to riding with the oh so successful ex-pat Zac Purton steering to victory Horsepower (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Copartner Prance (Epaulette) in the last two races on the card.
The Godolphin-bred Horsepower raced four times in Victoria for the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable, last summer recording easy consecutive victories at Echuca and Geelong.
This was his first run in Hong Kong, augering well for the future of the Frankie Lor trained four-year-old whose dam is the dual Group winner Romneya (Red Ransom {USA}), daughter of the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Mannington (Danehill {USA}) whose dam is the wonderful mare Bint Marscay (Marscay).
Raced by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman Michael Lee and his wife Vanessa, Horsepower impressed Purton who told the media that “it was a really good effort because he didn’t break as well as I was hoping he was going to.
“I was in an awkward spot; I couldn’t press forward and I couldn’t come back to get in. In the straight, he wanted to keep hanging in and running in on me, so he made it difficult for me.”
He loves Happy Valley
A more experienced Hong Kong horse, Copartner Prance was in the winner's circle for the seventh time from 13 starts for the Francis Lui stable.
Bred in Queensland by IR McCauley, the half-brother to Aquis Farm's Listed-winning stallion Kobayashi races especially well at Happy Valley and but with his rating increasing there are less options for him on that circuit.
“It is not easy to pick a race for him in the future,” Lui said, adding that “he might have to try a Group race at some time."
One possibility for him being the G2 Jockey Club Sprint over 1200 metres at Sha Tin on November 17.
There were four other victories recorded by Australian-bred horses. Hugh Bowman was aboard the Danny Shum-trained, Grenville Stud bred Denfield (Deep Field) who has now won three races in Hong Kong.
The grandson of the G2 Magic Night S. winner Downhill Racer (Danehill Dancer {USA}) was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $550,000 at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and sold on for HK$7.8 million (AU$1.5 million) at the 2022 Hong Kong Jockey Club Hong Kong International Sale.
Bred in New South Wales by Maculata Stud, Spicy So Smart (Outreach) was secured for just $6500 for his owners at the 2021 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale. It was a second Hong Kong success for the 5-year-old whose grandam is the stakes placed Skytripper (Rocket To Mars).
Also bred in New South Wales, by Mr J Allis, was Sturdy Ruby (Street Boss {USA}) who took 17 starts to break his Hong Kong duck. The member of the Manfred Man stable made his way through the sales ring on two occasions; selling for $120,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and for NZ$180,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
Racing well at nine
Still in good form at the age of nine, Happy Tango (Eavesdropper {USA}) has won two of his last four starts for the Me Tsui stable. Winning two Brisbane trials in 2018 under the name of Daylight Snoop, he has done well for a $15,000 graduate of the 2017 Magic Millions Capricornia Yearling Sale.
There were also a couple of New Zealand-bred winners; Sharpen Bright (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) recording his third win from his last six starts and providing a nice birthday present for his trainer David Hall.
Bred by Gerry Harvey, the $25,000 2021 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale purchase is one of the nine winners produced by the city winner Wandane (Danehill {USA}), grandam of the Listed Albury Cup winner Harmony Rose (Glass Harmonium {Ire}).
And rewarded for consistent form was Smart Fighter (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), a Waikato Stud bred five-year-old who was purchased for $250,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He is a son of the G2 Kewney S. winner Do Ra Mi (NZ) (Savabeel).