Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Treble for Hayes livens up Trainers' Championship
David Hayes, who won the Hong Kong trainers’ title in 1997/98 and 1998/99, went within six of current leader, 12-time champion John Size, with a treble on Sunday night at Sha Tin. Wins by Oriental Smoke (Artie Schiller {USA}), Solid Shalaa (Shalaa {Ire}) and World Hero (Written Tycoon) took his season total to 50 wins and significantly closed the gap to Size.
David Hayes | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“John is hard to catch, being six ahead, but if he has a quiet couple of weeks and I have a good couple of weeks, it could get close. It’s been a good day, but John is hard to catch,” Hayes told racingnews.hkjc.com.
“There’s a glimmer of hope. I’ve got a lot of young horses that are going to start running that are trialling well, but basically I have to keep going and John has to stop to win. Every time John trains a winner, it’s hard, but it’s worth giving it a go.”
Oriental Smoke, a 7-year-old gelding, has done all his racing in Hong Kong and took his record to six wins and 15 placings from 51 starts with earnings over HK$9 million (AU$1.8 million). Sold by Aquis Farm at the Magic Millions 2YOs In Training Sale for $100,000 to Collide Syndicates, he is one of two winners for city winner I’m Mary Too (Flying Spur).
Solid Shalaa made it two in a row. The 5-year-old gelding did his initial racing in Brisbane as Prince Shalaa where he won three of his first four starts before being sold privately to Hong Kong, where he has won another three times. He was purchased by Steve O’Dea Racing at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale from Kolora Lodge for $3000 and won $150,000 in Australia prior to his sale to Hong Kong, where he has added another $750,000 in earnings.
“His form all season really has been terrific and he’s an elite dirt horse, I think. He loves this track, loves this distance and (Ellis) Wong rides the horse really well. I have to say it was a great ride. I like supporting the younger riders and when they get confident, their seven and 10lbs (claim) is a huge help. At the moment, he’s confident on my horses and I’m very happy to use him.”
World Hero, a 3-year-old gelding, took a while to find his feet in Hong Kong, struggling at his only start at two, then winning at his 10th career start, but he’s figured it out now and this was his second win in his last three starts. With earnings over HK$1.2 million (AU$230,000), he was bought by Bridle Bloodstock for $150,000 from Coolmore Stud’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft.
Hayes is enjoying a resurgence thanks to Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), but two years ago, he lost many of his horses to other trainers. “I had a very strong team of young horses but they kept leaving my stable. I lost 40 horses in 18 months and that’s almost career-destroying.
“Luckily, we’ve recovered and we’re not losing horses now. That’s the only difference that I’ve seen – that owners I have now are staying, not moving, and some of the big ones are coming back.”
Century for Atzeni
Jockey Andrea Atzeni made it 100 wins in Hong Kong when scoring on Ricky Yiu-trained debutante 3-year-old gelding Blazing Wukong (Toronado {Ire}). He is currently third in the Hong Kong Jockey’s Championship for this season.
“It’s great to get to that number (100 Hong Kong wins). I didn’t realise I was that close,” Atzeni said. “I had obviously forgotten the three winners I had ridden 10 years ago.
“To get to 100 is pretty good and it’s great to do it with Ricky and (owner) Jason (Chan) is a good friend of mine – I’ve ridden Nimble Nimbus for him – and this horse (Blazing Wukong) is a nice horse.”
Blazing Wukong was sold by Newhaven Park Stud to Yiu for $160,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, and the 3-year-old gelding is the fourth foal of Lotta Sugar (Fastnet Rock) who has produced one other winner.
“He was second-last and to make up that amount of ground in the straight – he has a huge stride and responded well. I’ve always been a believer that he will do well – he will get a mile. This year he’ll stay in this class, we only won by half a length,” Yiu said.
Double for Wong
Britney Wong, one of the few woman riders in Hong Kong, opened the card with a double on Tsuen Wan Glory (NZ) (Smart Missile) and Patch Of Watch (I Am Invincible), both trained by Manfred Man. “Very good double to start off the day. I’m grateful for all the opportunities Manfred has given me,” Wong said.
“(Patch Of Watch) has matured a lot. He has always had ability but he was mentally immature and not quite settled but now he knows what his purpose is in Hong Kong.” A HK$2.6 million (AU$520,000) graduate of the Hong Kong International Sale, Patch Of Watch was sourced from Three Bridges Thoroughbreds’ Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $700,000. The 5-year-old gelding finally broke through for his first win at his 14th start, and Sunday’s victory took his record to two wins from 17 starts in Hong Kong with earnings over HK$1.5 million (AU$300,000).
“It’s been over a year (since Tsuen Wan Glory last won). He carried no weight – he had 116lbs minus 10lbs for Britney’s claim. The 10lbs off made the difference,” Man said. Tsuen Wan Glory now has three wins from 31 starts with earnings over HK$2 million (AU$400,000). The 7-year-old gelding was bought by his trainer from Riversley Park’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for NZ$60,000.
Patience rewarded with debut win
Injury prone 4-year-old gelding Dancing Classics (Press Statement) won on debut for trainer Caspar Fownes, rewarding his owner Aaron Kwok for his patience. “It’s very expensive to keep paying up for these horses and it’s very rewarding. It means a lot. He’s had a lot of issues,” Fownes said.
“When you know they’ve got potential and they’ve just constantly got issues and you bring them back. He’s (Dancing Classics) got a very big engine. We just hope now that he pulls up well and we’ve got a horse for the end of the season coming in with a fresh pair of legs. Hopefully Aaron can get rewarded for being an amazing owner and being so patient and believing.”
Dancing Classics won a trial at Tatura in Australia in June 2023 as a 2-year-old, before heading to Hong Kong where he has had six more trials before Sunday’s debut victory.
“He’s a horse that’s shown a bit – a fair bit, actually. I trialled him at Conghua some months ago (3 January) and I was very excited by him and he’s been plagued by a few niggling issues between then and now, so it’s taken a bit of time,” jockey Hugh Bowman said.
“My second ride on him was during the week (Monday, 12 May). I bounced him down the back and I was pretty satisfied he could come here and perform well and he did that with flying colours. He’s got improvement to come and he’s an exciting, young horse.”
