Hong Kong Review: Salon S unstoppable in four starts for Lor

Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Newham back on top after Sha Tin treble

Former Australian trainer Mark Newnham snatched back the Hong Kong trainers’ premiership on Sunday night when training a treble on the 11-race card at Sha Tin, kicking off with a two and a quarter-length maiden victory delivered by 4-year-old Ace (NZ) (Tivaci).

“He won with a bit of authority so I think there’s still improvement to come,” Newnham said. “I think he’s better than Class Five. He arrived in good condition. We trialled him the one time at Happy Valley, I was pleased with the trial.

“He galloped very well during the week. He drew a good gate, Jerry gave him an excellent ride, and I think that’ll help the horse’s confidence.”

Newnham won’t be pushing the gelding out beyond the 1400-metre trip for a while.

“I thought 1400 metres was a suitable distance for him,” he said. I’ve ridden him a couple of times in work myself and I just thought that’s probably the right distance for him now. He might go a little bit further in the future, but I think we’ll just stick to the 1400 metres at the moment.”

Three races later, he secured a race-to-race double in races four and five, first with Max Que (Akeed Mofeed) chalking up his fourth win of the season, defeating Joy Of Spring (Deep Field) by a length and three quarters over the mile.

“The horse did very well here at Sha Tin. The horse has been very consistent this season – he’s just a really solid horse. He makes my job easy, you can plan for either venue,” Newnham said.

In nine starts this season, the 5-year-old gelding hasn’t been out of the placings.

“What helped him today I think was getting to a point in his rating and being able to run with a light weight.

“His last couple of starts at Happy Valley when he’s carried top weight, he just hasn’t been able to quite get the job done. He’s been close, but not quite there. And today, with a nice light weight, good stalking ride from Alexis, he was really good late.

“At the start of the season, I probably didn’t think he was going to be a Class Two winner so I’m happy with what he’s achieved so far. He’s just a very genuine horse, so you can send him out there and know he’s going to do his best - if that’s good enough to keep winning, great. But he’s had a fantastic season.”

In the fifth, 3-year-old Ever Luck (Capitalist) secured his second career victory by a half-length margin over a 1000-metre trip. Newnham credited the application of blinkers for the improvement in form.

“He’s always had natural speed, so with the blinkers on and dropped to 1000 metres, we just decided to play to his assets,” he said. “He’s struggled previously at 1200 metres carrying 135lb, but I thought today, with the blinkers on, he just had to use the outside fence as his guide and use that speed.

“As a 3-year-old, I think the 1000-metre trip is as far as he wants to go. He won’t have too many more runs this season.”

Taking his seasonal record to 45 victories, Newnham is now two wins ahead of his closest rival, Casper Fownes.

Salon S remains unbeaten in Sunday night romp

On a day when Australian sires won seven of the 11 races on the Sha Tin card, it was gun 3-year-old Salon S (Zousain) who was shining a spotlight on his Widden Stud-based sire with his fourth straight win.

The gelding, who delivered the second half of a race-to-race double for Frankie Lor, was having his third start at 1400 metres and put in another impressive victory by a length over Uranus Star (Brazen Beau).

Even more impressively, the win came under the top weight, carrying 9lb more than the runner-up and 3lb more than the next highest weight in the field.

“He’s quite exciting,” said Lor. “You can see this sire has had some okay horses in Hong Kong, but this one is quite good. I hope he can keep going.”

“I was a little bit worried because this time, he needed to carry 134lb in a Class Three and he’s only a 3-year-old, but he did a good job. He’ll go up to Class Two now and we can give him one more race and then no rush - maybe a little break before racing him again at the end of the season.”

The Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile is possibly on the agenda for when the horse matures next season.

“He’s still learning,” said Lor. “The jockey said if he can relax more, 1600 metres will be no problem.”

Lor Bloodstock paid $90,000 for Salon S when he was offered as a yearling by Murulla Stud at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He had previously been a $17,000 Inglis Digital weanling purchase for Mossvale Pastoral from Daandine Stud. Named The Golden Ratio in Australia, he won a Beaudesert trial by nine lengths for Melissa Kelly prior to export.

Salon S is a half-brother to Bulikov - Viva Graciousness (HK) (Deep Field), a four-time winner who was Listed-placed in Australia, out of six-time winner and Listed Just Now Handicap runner-up Divine City (Ferocity). The family descends from a stakes-performed full sister to the Group 1 winners Pride Of Rosewood (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Admiral Lincoln (NZ), grandchildren of Challen (NZ) (Ruthless {GB}) who won six principle races.

Better And Better (Shamus Award) kicked off Lor’s double in the race before, breaking his maiden at the 12th time of asking.

“Someone always puts money on him,” Lor said. “I’m glad he could finally win for his owners. He was very wide, Alexis (Badel) waited for as long as possible and then moved him out and sprinted. I always said he looks like he has a short sprint so he had to use him at the right time and he definitely did.

“Sometimes, with horses like him, when they win a race the confidence comes and they keep winning.”