Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Consistency rewarded for Helios Express
John Size-trained Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}) broke through for his first win this season in Saturday’s G3 Sha Tin Vase, and it was the first time in his eight starts this season that he hadn’t raced against Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}). Ka Ying Rising won all of those seven races, with Helios Express second on five occasions and third the other two times.
Without the presence of the horse likely to be crowned Champion Sprinter, Helios Express still had to work for the win, beating 2024 G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize winner Invincible Sage (Thronum) by a short head, with Group 3 winner Patch Of Theta (Zoustar) 1.75l away in third.
“Only just,” jockey Hugh Bowman told hkjc.com of the winning margin. “I’ve had a lot to do with the second horse, Invincible Sage, and they both got the soft track conditions which suited both horses and you’ve seen them both run to their premium.
“He (Helios Express) thoroughly deserved it. He’s been chasing the ‘champ’ all season and with his absence, he was the number one seed and he came out in front.”
“He (Helios Express) thoroughly deserved it. He’s been chasing the ‘champ’ all season and with his absence, he was the number one seed and he came out in front.” - Hugh Bowman
A winner of his only Australian start at Benalla, when named Tex Mex, Helios Express won six of his first eight starts in Hong Kong including two legs of the 2024 4-year-old series, being the Listed Classic Mile and Listed Classic Cup. This season he kept running into Ka Ying Rising, and Saturday’s win took him to eight wins from 18 starts with earnings over HK$39 million (AU$8 million).
“He certainly deserves this win. He’s tried very hard all season to win a decent race and finally he got it done. He found a race that was suitable for him. I’ll see what he’s like at home. After his last start when third in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, he showed me he really wasn’t looking for a break so we’ll see how he pulls up after this race,” Size said.
Gallery: Images courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Trainer David Hayes won the first on the card with Lucky Man (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), closing the gap to Size, but Size made it a double on the day also winning with Masterofmyuniverse (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) to extend his lead over Hayes to seven.
First stakes win for Pray For Mir and Cody Mo
One of Hong Kong’s rising talents, trainer Cody Mo, achieved his first stakes winner on Saturday with Pray For Mir (Justify {USA}) in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy and it was also the first stakes win for the horse who becomes the stakes winner number 45 for Justify (USA) who had a double on the card with New Forest. Pray For Mir led all the way to win by 0.5l from Chancheng Glory (USA) (Mor Spirit {USA} with 2024 G1 Champion’s Mile winner Beauty Eternal (Starspangledbanner) in third.
“This is one of my targets for the season, now a dream has come true. I’m so happy – thanks to all my staff and the owners for their support,” Mo told hkjc.com.
“Today (Matthew) Chadwick controlled the pace very well and the horse carried a light weight. At the end of the season, all the horses were maybe a bit tired and I kept him a bit fresh. This horse is a very honest horse. You can see he has so many seconds and only loses by a little bit.
“We (Mo and Chadwick) have very good communication, this season I have been really supporting local jockeys and I’m happy that together we could win a Group 3. We go way back when we were both training in Tony (Cruz)’s stable and we’ve come through the ranks together and it’s great to be part of this with him.”
Pray For Mir winning the G3 Lion Rock Trophy | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pray For Mir, who raced in Australia as Javaja where he won both his starts on the Sunshine Coast, now has four wins from 17 starts with five second placings for earnings over HK$5.5 million (AU$1.1 million).
Sold at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by Coolmore for $950,000 to TFI, Kia Ora and D Farrington, Pray For Mir is the second foal of G2 Silver Shadow Stakes and G2 Furious Stakes winner Formality (Fastnet Rock) who also placed in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Pray For Mir’s 3-year-old full brother is a winner and Formality has an unraced 2-year-old filly Wander Dune (Zoustar), a yearling filly by So You Think (NZ) and a weanling filly by I Am Invincible.
Formality is a daughter of Horse of the Year in Singapore in 2009 Jolie’s Shinju (Jpn) (Jolie’s Halo {Jpn}) who won nine races in the region including the Singapore Derby.
Gallery: Images courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hall’s Attack makes up for Sage’s second
Trainer David Hall made up for Invincible Sage’s close second to Helios Express with a strong win by exciting 3-year-old gelding Ka Ying Attack (NZ) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Winner of a trial at Foxton as an early 2-year-old, Ka Ying Attack has done all his racing in Hong Kong, winning twice this spring with Saturday’s win taking his record to three wins from six starts and earnings over HK$2.6 million (AU$515,000).
Sold by Jamieson Park at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale for NZ$30,000 to RR Philp, he was entered for the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale but withdrawn and he won the Foxton trial six days later.
From Too Darn Hot (GB)’s first Southern Hemisphere crop, Ka Ying Attack looks like another horse destined to add to his sire’s sensational beginning which includes Broadsiding, Rivellino, Shanwah (NZ), Too Darn Discreet, and Too Darn Lizzie.
Ka Ying Attack is the fifth foal, and third winner for unraced mare Refreshing (Stratum) who is a half-sister to Listed winner Sangria (I Am Invincible), and her dam, stakes placed Quench The Thirst (Encosta De Lago) is a three-quarter sister to Manhattan Rain and Rubick, from the Redoute’s Choice family.
Mark Newnham and Lyle Hewitson combined to win Saturday’s two dirt races with New Forest and Talents Ambition (Into Mischief {USA}).
