Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Richards stays on top
Trainer Jamie Richards has well and truly put last season’s quiet run behind him and sits on top of the Trainer’s Premiership with five wins from the first three meetings in Hong Kong this season. His 5-year-old gelding Jubilant Winner (Capitalist) removed his maiden status in style, winning by two and a half lengths.
“I don’t really know what it is, but we’ve had some very good rides and the horses have paraded well and looked well. And when they look well and trial well, I think they run well,” Richards told scmp.com.
“So we’ll just keep it simple and hopefully we can keep going.” Jubilant Winner’s record sums up Richards’ tricky season last year where the horse had 10 starts for four placings without winning.
“He’s a horse that last season needed his races spaced a little bit, but hopefully he can hold more condition this year and if he does that, hopefully he can work his way up the ratings a bit. I think the horses that have been winning have run well last season. Jubilant (Winner) has just needed some time and the other ones have been going well. I think the horses are racing pretty consistently.”
Originally sold by Riversdale at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale to Riversley Park for $150,000, he was pinhooked by Riversley Park at the Inglis Ready To Race Sale for $160,000 where Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock purchased him. He is the fourth foal of We Can Dance (Shinzig), whose 4-year-old gelding Golden Octavian (Impending) was a winner recently. She has a 2-year-old filly by Brazen Beau, a yearling colt by King’s Legacy and is in foal to Native Trail (GB).
A winner over 1000 metres, We Can Dance is a half-sister to winning mare Disguise (Grand Lodge {USA}), dam of four time-Group 1 winner Appearance (Commands) and Listed winner Mascareri (Commands).
Treble for jockey Badel
Fresh from riding in Japan during the Hong Kong off-season, jockey Alexis Badel rode a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday aboard Frankie Lor-trained My Flying Angel (Zoustar), Mark Newnham-trained Same To You (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), and Chris So-trained Master Of All (Charm Spirit {Ire}). “I’ve been given good rides and everything went smooth. I feel fit and confident,” Badel told scmp.com.
Same To You was the surprise of the night, paying $66 to be the longest shot winner of the season to date. “It was obviously a good surprise for everyone. It was a late pickup with the lightweight (122lb). The gate forced us to take him back and with the strong pace ahead, he just dusted them. It was huge. He’s probably a bit better than we thought.”
The 7-year-old gelding won twice last season, and Sunday’s win took his record to three wins from 20 starts. My Flying Angel was a winner at Caulfield as an early 3-year-old when named Masonry, and Sunday’s win was his first in Hong Kong from 20 starts in the region, while Master Of All has done all his racing in Hong Kong and took his record to five wins from 23 starts.
Treble for Deep Field
The loss of Deep Field to the breeding ranks was further highlighted by a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday. His winners were Danny Shum-trained pair of Blazing Wind and Packing Bole, and Cody Mo-trained Sugar Ball.
Deep Field | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Packing Bole was ridden by second-year apprentice jockey Britney Wong, whose double on the night took her to 21 race wins in the region. “Today it was really good that the pace just panned out as we wanted because he’s a very straightforward horse,” Wong told hkjc.com.
“He always just leads and keeps on a very strong pace, and no one was trying to give me any pressure.” Sold by Silverdale Farm at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $700,000 to Lindsay Park Racing and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA), Packing Bole won a trial and went directly to Hong Kong where he won on debut at three, and now has four wins from 16 starts and earnings over HK$5.2 million (AU$1 million).
Under Zac Purton, Blazing Wind took his record to two wins from 17 starts, while Sugar Ball was ridden by Derek Leung and made it three wins in Hong Kong, having also won in Australia when named Irish Crickets.
“(The double) felt really nice. I actually aimed for those last two winners (to reach 20 wins) on the last day of last season, but I couldn’t achieve it. So I brushed myself off and tried my best today,” Wong said.
Wong’s other winner was on Fight Time (Nicconi) for trainer David Hall. “She did a great job. She was caught wide, but obviously, from barrier 13, it was always going to be a chance that that could happen. But she kept the horse’s balance, kept his rhythm and let him build his momentum up,” Hall told hkjc.com.
