Dashing Fellow benefited from a canny gate-to-wire ride from Howard Cheng to see off the highly-regarded race favourite Sun Jewellery in the Class 1 Panasonic Cup (Handicap) at Sha Tin Racecourse this afternoon, Saturday 14 November.
Trainer John Moore expressed a degree of astonishment after Dashing Fellow dominated the 1400m from the widest starting berth of all, gate 14.
“It was a bit of a surprise that he was able to get across and get to the front from there without being taken on,” said the handler. “I didn’t envisage that. I thought he might be trapped three deep on the speed but he’s got across quite easily and set the running up himself.”
Cheng bustled the four-year-old from his outside berth to snare the rail spot at the 1100m point. From there on in, Cheng and Dashing Fellow commanded the tempo. Neil Callan drove Super Lifeline upsides to vie for the lead on straightening for home but Dashing Fellow responded to Cheng’s shake of the reins inside the 400m mark and dug in, grinding two lengths clear of that rival.
With the highly-touted four-year-old Blizzard wilting off a wide run, it was left to the stalking Sun Jewellery to mount a challenge. Despite closing in the final stages, the John Size-trained gelding crossed the line three quarters of a length down. Gurus Dream charged home from deep to run third as Super Lifeline faded to fourth.
Moore was delighted: “He ran a good race the other day behind Blizzard and with a postage stamp 114lb on his back he was always going to kick. They were going to have to be good to run this fellow down, he’s no slouch! We knew he had a bit of class and I knew he wouldn’t stop, it was just a question of how far he could get, keeping up that momentum, but he did it all the way to the line and we’ve won the Panasonic Cup.
“I’ve always said he’d make into a Group 3 horse and the way he went today I think he’ll be competitive in some nice Group races,” he continued. “He’ll get a mile and I’m sure the owners will be looking at the Four-Year-Old Series, but we’ll take our time. He’s a nice horse – we bought him as a yearling for not a lot of money and he’s proved to be the best of that bunch.
“We’re starting to use Howard now because he can do the weight and we need a lightweight rider. He was keen to ride a few of my lightweights and he’s done the job wonderfully well today.”
Cheng returning to the winner’s arch after a feature race triumph has not been a common sight in recent seasons and the rider, twice Hong Kong’s Champion apprentice in his younger days, whooped and punched the air as he flashed past the winning post.
“The plan was to go forward after jumping from gate 14 and follow the leader,” said the jockey, 34. “But he jumps fast and in order to come across to the rail, I decided to dictate the pace and take the lead.”
“I knew the pace was quite fast but, in order to get the rail position, I decided to let him go and in fact he travelled very well throughout the back straight. He kept running strongly after entering the home straight and only a very good horse could do this. I always had confidence that he could hold off the challenges of those late finishers.”
Dashing Fellow’s success was the second leg of a double for Cheng, who also scored on the Benno Yung-trained Diamond King in race five.
