Brett Davis provides exclusive Review of Happy Valley races.
Race 1 – Bedford Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.31 Standard Time: 1:40.20 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
D STAR (NZ 5yo g Darci Brahma – Florella) picked up his first win in over a year as Brenton Avdulla guided him home. From an outside draw, the Australian snatched the gelding to the back of the field immediately. He was racing three-wide around the first turn, but did have cover as they travelled down the side of the course. Avdulla would improve his position a touch with 1000m remaining with cover in his three-wide position. As they approached the 600m point, the Australian took off, beginning to circle around the bunched field four wide, though he was coming strongly and took the lead at the top of the straight. He was wandering about under pressure and copped a bump with around a furlong to run, though he was knuckling down gamely in the middle of the track. He had a couple of rivals coming at him late, but he was too strong to the line, holding on to win by a short head. CAN'T GO WONG jumped on terms and landed in the second half of the field under Matthew Poon. The gelding was travelling well beneath Poon who raced alongside the eventual winner down the back straight before Avdulla took off aboard D Star. Poon was quickly on his back approaching the 400m point, but he was spotting him 1-1/2 lengths as they entered the straight. Can't Go Wong was grinding away out wider and made one late charge for the win, though it was too little, too late. DRAGON DELIGHT stuck on well after sitting up on the speed throughout and was only beaten a neck at the post.
Race 2 – Cheong Wan Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.66 Standard Time: 1:40.40 Course/Class record: 1:38.91 All Joyful
Matthew Chadwick and Mark Newnham combined with RIGHT HONURABLE (IRE 10yo g Famous Name – Agnetha) who scored the eighth win of his career. Chadwick dropped out from the wide draw to end up at the back of the field right after the jump. The speed was hot from the outset and the local jockey found himself a mile off the lead with 1000m left to run. At the 800m point, Chadwick was still 10 lengths off the leader with the local hoop remaining along the inside rail as they turned off the back. Chadwick was able to sneak some runs along the inside as they went around the home turn and the seas parted for him at the top of the straight. He barely went around a runner as he took the lead with a furlong to go, running between horses and skipping away to win easily on the line, with the official margin being 1-1/4 lengths. RED MAVERICK also settled in the back half of the field for Angus Chung, sitting at the end of the chasing pack with a slick tempo being set in the early stages. Chung ducked back to the inside rail as they travelled down the back straight and tried to pinch some ground along the fence as they turned off the back. The local hoop had plenty of horse beneath him turning into the straight, he just needed some clear air early in the straight. He stuck on well out wider on the course once finally clear, but the winner was just too strong back to the inside. WINNING SEVEN had sat just off the leaders in the run and stuck on well after sitting just off the pace throughout. He copped some interference in the straight but still rallied well to the line, holding on for third.
Race 3 – The Chinese General Chamber Of Commerce Cup (Handicap), HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:10.09 Standard Time: 1:10.00 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
TEAM HAPPY (AUS 4yo g Deep Field – Alberton Park) scored his second victory of the season with an all-the-way win for Andrea Atzeni and Pierre Ng. Atzeni pressed forward from barrier two to take up the running as they worked around the first turn, holding out his rivals to lead the field down the back straight. The speed was good, though there wasn't a whole lot of pressure up front which allowed Atzeni to do as he pleased. He had his nearest rival off the bit and chasing as they approached the home turn, though the Sicilian sat comfortably aboard Team Happy, waiting until he'd straightened before pushing the button. He was hanging in under pressure, lugging back to the rail in the straight as Atzeni tried to keep him going straight, but once he found the fence he went like an arrow. There was only one danger late in the race, though Team Happy was able to hang on by a head on the line. CALIFORNIA DEEPLY got away on terms but ended up in the back half of the field on settling down for Brenton Avdulla. He remained off the rail in running, giving himself plenty of room to move into the race as he did coming up to the 400m point. The Australian hoop got right out to the outside with California Deeply making his long and sustained run out near the outside rail. He kept winding up, but the gap was too big to bridge back, with the gelding having to settle for second place. FATAL BLOW stuck on well after sitting on the spe3ed to finish third.
Race 4 – Cheung Shun Handicap, HK $875,000
Class 5 – Turf - Distance 1000m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 57.51 Standard Time: 57.35 Course/Class record: 56.52 Shanghai Power
Zac Purton scored his first win of the night and handed Tony Cruz an early double as PARENTS' LOVE (AUS 4yo g Deep Field – National Anthem) broke his maiden. Purton bustled the gelding out of barrier eight and the four-year-old took up the running. The pace was solid throughout the run as the field strung out turning off the back straight, though Purton did look to have a strong grip of Parents' Love heading around the home turn. He stuck on strongly as he scraped the paint along the inside rail, scooting around the home turn and extending his margin at the top of the straight. He wouldn't be caught in the run to the line, with Parents' Love going all the way, winning by three quarters of-a-length. DAN ATTACK was sitting about midfield in the run for Hugh Bowman after the Australian was relatively neutral coming out of the barriers. He eventually edged forward to be in that midfield position through the middle stages of the event, spotting the leader 3-3/4 lengths as they turned into the straight. He was travelling well coming to the turn but when Bowman went for a gap, Dan Attack hung in away from another rival and the Australian was forced to restrain his mount as he got close to heels. He was able to pick himself back up though inside the final 150m, rallying through to steal second place right on the line in a photo finish. ACE TALENT was wobbling about all over the track in the straight. After racing in the one-out-one-back position, Ellis Wong got the gelding to the middle of the track, but after laying in early in the stretch, the gelding then headed toward the outside rail midway down the straight. Wong had to straighten the gelding up and it may have cost him second position as he was tiring late in the race.
Race 5 – Bedford Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good
Time: 1:40.59 Standard Time: 1:40.20 Course/Class record: 1:38.83 Flying Elite
Ellis Wong and Caspar Fownes combined for their first wins of the night as CAPITAL LEGEND (AU 6yo g Capitalist – Sweet Melody) ran over the top to pick up his third victory. After jumping from the widest barrier, Wong took the gelding back to the tail of the field where he remained through the middle stages. The pace was relatively even throughout and after Wong ended up a clear last turning off the back, crossing down to the inside rail where he was looking to sneak through approaching the home turn. The apprentice hoop had to ride for luck entering the straight, but the inside rail was wide open and that's where he headed. He never went around a horse as the gelding found an extra gear inside the final 200m of the race. Under hands and heels, the gelding surged through beneath his rivals to hit the front inside the final 50m and win by a neck on the line. HARMONY GALAXY was urged along from a nice barrier to sit close to the speed rounding the first turn, moving up to settle on the back of the leader as they sorted their order out. Poon would stalk the leader throughout the event, though he was left behind just a touch when the pace went back on with around 700m remaining. He was also hampered as they turned off the back, but Poon picked the gelding back up and he railed strongly beneath his rivals, before coming off heels at the top of the straight. He moved up to the leader with 100m remaining and took the lead, but on momentarily as Capital Legend sprinted through along the inside to snatch the lead away. HIGHLAND RAHY pressed on to take up the running under Lyle Hewitson and he stuck on gamely to the wire, finishing only three quarters of-a-length away.
Race 6 – Fat Tseung Handicap, HK $1,170,000
Class 4 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:10.45 Standard Time: 1:10.00 Course/Class record: 1:08.60 Happily Friends
TRIUMPHANT MORE (AUS 4yo g Star Turn – Ready To Reign) got the job done on debut, bringing up a winning double for Zac Purton. The newcomer wasn't the fastest into stride, though Purton rolled forward anyway. He was three-wide around the first turn and down the back straight, eventually rolling forward to sit on the outside of the leader through the middle stages of the race. He was right there to strike around the home turn, and he showed his inexperience when Purton pressed the button, getting his head up and taking a while to put it all together. He hit the front with around 100m remaining, albeit narrowly, with a runner down to the inside right there if good enough. The pair got away from the chasing pack, but Triumphant More got his head down where it mattered most, winning by a short head on the line. GLORY CLOUD bounced well from the gate and rolled forward heading into the first turn to be in second position early in the back straight. As the race unfolded, Hugh Bowman slid back just a touch to be on the back of the leader when Triumphant More pressed on. Around the turn, Bowman looked to have plenty to offer with the Australian ducking back to the inside and making his run. He was there to strike if good enough as he ran to the front alongside Triumphant More, though he couldn't stick his nose in front on the post. RAGNARR stormed home down the outside after sitting worse than midfield in the run, coming down the middle of the track to take third place.
Race 7 – Fife Handicap, HK $2,050,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1650m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:39.73 Standard Time: 1:40.00 Course/Class record: 1:38.55 Telecom Fighters
DARING PURSUIT (NZ 6yo g Shooting To Win – Comic Miss) made it back-to-back wins either side of a spell, bringing up a winning double for Caspar Fownes. The gelding was squeezed a little at the start, but the Frenchman Alexis Badel didn't really have an option but to roll forward from the draw. After being caught wide around the first turn, Badel was able to slot into the running line in a midfield position down the side of the course with the tempo even through the opening stages. After a cosy run in transit, Badel began to make his move from the 500m point, circling his rivals three-wide under heavy riding to be close to the leader on straightening. He took control early in the straight but couldn't quite shake his rivals with 150m remaining. Despite wandering his way up the track in the final 100m, Daring Pursuit was able to sustain the long run and win by a neck on the line. SOLEIL FIGHTER jumped well off the inside barrier to land on the back of the leader on settling down. After a nice run in transit, the field ended up spread across the track on straightening which gave Matthew Poon plenty of room to work in as he got off heels at the top of the straight. He never really hit the front as when he loomed up to the leader, Daring Pursuit went by him, though he stuck on strongly and only went down by a neck in a very commendable performance. SUPER UNICORN snuck up the inside rail late in the race to grab third, but he was 1-3/4 lengths off the winner.
Race 8 – Hing Yip Handicap, HK $1,860,000
Class 3 – Turf - Distance 1200m – Track Good to Firm
Time: 1:09.67 Standard Time: 1:09.75 Course/Class record: 1:08.68 Speed Vision
SUGAR SUGAR (AUS 6yo g Star Turn – In The Moment) got the job done in the last and made it a winning treble on the night for Caspar Fownes. The gelding was away on terms from barrier three, though Bowman wasn't keen to lead early doors with plenty of pace on offer heading into the first turn. He was racing a little worse than midfield, still along the inside rail through the middle stages of the race with the field strung out turning off the back. Bowman remained to the fence as they approached the home turn, with the Australian going for a rails run at the top of the straight. He sprinted quickly and took the lead with 50m to run, railing through beneath his rivals and holding off a late challenge to win by a head on the line, with the gelding never going around a runner. SWIFT ASCEND jumped well and settled just off the speed for Andrea Atzeni. He came under pressure a long way from home, but he continued to find under the urgings and got into the clear with a furlong to run. He made a late charge down the middle of the track, hitting the line full of gusto to just miss on the line, beaten a head in a tight finish. DIVANO stuck on well from being on the speed throughout and lost no admirers as he held on for third, beaten just three quarters of-a-length.
