Month: March 2024

Helios Express Leaves It Late In Hong Kong Classic Cup

Sent away as the $16.50 (65-100) jolly to add Sunday's HK$13-million Hong Kong Classic Cup to last month's Hong Kong Classic Mile, top-rated Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) managed to work his way out of a jackpot with 200 metres to travel and flashed home to touch off an extremely game Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) by a short head Sunday afternoon at Sha Tin Racecourse. He can join the likes of the late Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) and Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as Triple Crown winners should he negotiate the step up to the 2000 metres in the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby in three weeks.

Having shown a penchant to want to do too much in the Classic Mile, Helios Express was going to need to relax in the nine-furlong contest if he was to see out the trip. He switched off well enough mid-division and against the rail in the early stages as Beauty Crescent (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Chancheng Glory came across from their wide draws to dispute whatever pace there was. But by about midway, Helios Express was tugging hard and Hugh Bowman had his hands full and his feet in the dashboard, doing everything in his power to try and save something for a finish.

The favourite went better on the turn as Beauty Crescent turned them into the Sha Tin straight, but he was going to have to be ridden for some luck. Held together inside, Helios Express quickly moved onto the leaders' heels, but his stablemate Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) was there three off the fence and the no exit sign was illuminated for a handful of strides. But owing to the fact that Ensued lacks acceleration, Helios Express pushed away from the inside and now had dead aim on Chancheng Glory, who went to the front 250m from home. The latter, a 51-1 chance, had something left and wasn't going away, but Bowman kept after Helios Express and shoved him across the line. Ensued was a one-paced third ahead of Classic Mile third Star Mac (Aus) (Heroic Valour {Aus}), who got home well from the tail.

“There were a few anxious moments at the 700m when I couldn't hold him but I was given no option but to ride him as I rode him, given the way the race panned out,” said Bowman, a two-time Derby winner, but registering his first in the Classic Cup. “He settled really well but then when the pace started to change, it got really muddling around the corner, he didn't cope with that very well. It's hard to be too critical of him for that reason, either. With a smooth run race (in the Derby), he'll be okay.

“He needs an even tempo, he doesn't particularly need it fast. Like all horses, he's going to benefit from an even pace. It's not only him–it's the entire field.”

 

 

 

Pedigree Notes:

Western Australian-bred Helios Express continues an outstanding run in Hong Kong for his sire, who sits second behind Deep Field (Aus) in progeny earnings for the current season and his two stakes winners ranks as joint-best alongside Starspangledbanner (Aus). His other black-type scorer this term is G1 Centenary Sprint Cup hero Victor the Winner (Aus), who is a probable starter in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chuyko Racecourse Mar. 24.

A three-time winner at the races, Paris Texas passed away in September 2021 according to the Australian Stud Book, but has left behind Helios Express's unraced 3-year-old full-sister Isolation Ridge (Aus), who is in training with Lindsey Smith at Linton in Victoria.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
HONG KONG CLASSIC CUP-LR, HK$13,000,000, Sha Tin, 3-3, NH/SH4yo, 1800mT, 1:47.73, gd.
1–HELIOS EXPRESS (AUS), 126, g, 4, by Toronado (Ire)
1st Dam: Paris Texas (Aus), by Hinchinbrook (Aus)
2nd Dam: Hialeah Star (Aus), by Luskin Star (Aus)
3rd Dam: Hialeah Gold (Aus), by Sovereign Red (NZ)
O-Andy Yung Ming Tai; B-C Wells (WA); T-John Size; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$7,280,000. Lifetime Record: 9-7-1-1, HK$23,070,200. *Formerly Tex Mex (Aus). Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Chancheng Glory, 126, g, 4, Mor Spirit–Solid Scam, by Consolidator. ($50,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $220,000 RNA 2yo '22 OBSMAR). O-Chancheng Racing Syndicate; B-H Allen Poindexter (IA); T-Francis Lui; J-Keegan de Melo; HK$2,730,000.
3–Ensued, 126, g, 4, Lemon Drop Kid–Alluvial Gold (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). ($120,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; €260,000 2yo '22 ARQMAY). O-Ada Wong Yin Man; B-T/C Stable LLC (KY); T-John Size; J-Ryan Moore; HK$1,495,000.
Margins: SHD, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 65-100, 51-1, 69-10.
Also Ran: Star Mac (Aus), Beauty Crescent (Ire), Helene Feeling (Ire), Chill Chibi (NZ), Unbelievable, Speed Dragon (NZ), Fallon (Ire), Elliptical (Aus), Simply Maverick (Aus), Ka Ying Generation (Ire), Awesome Fluke (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.

 

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Lordan Buzzing To Be Back Riding Eight Months After Horror Spill In Irish Derby

Wayne Lordan described his return to race-riding at Dundalk on Friday following an eight-month spell on the sidelines through injury as “a great feeling” and admitted to not realising how much he missed competitive action until he got the leg up aboard Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Patton Race.

Alas, the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt could not provide Lordan with a dream return, as he trailed home last of the three runners, but Lordan's spirits could not have been dented after completing the comeback. 

The multiple Group 1 and Classic-winning rider, who has been a key cog in the Ballydoyle operation for some years now, suffered career-threatening injuries when he was unshipped from the ill-fated San Antonio (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Irish Derby last July.

That left Lordan with fractures to his legs and elbow, along with a laceration to his arm, but Cork native said he never doubted that he would make a return to the saddle during his recovery. 

He explained, “It was great to get back–a great feeling. A lot of the time spent off was purely recovery. I had a lot of tests that I needed to pass in order to get back and that takes time. 

“I had to wait to get all of the right results back and thankfully they did. The other side to it was the injury took place towards the end of the year, so my recovery was over the winter, and that made things a bit easier. It's not a crazy busy time of the year for a jockey and it made it a bit easier watching on.”

He added, “I was always confident that everything was going well. You're just waiting for the right boxes to be ticked and everyone else to be happy. I've felt good for a while now. I started back in the gym back in November.”

Lordan is one of the most decorated riders in Ireland. He cemented his relationship with O'Brien when partnering Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to victory in the 2017 1,000 Guineas. He has since been associated with top-notch horses like Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), for whom he was at his brilliant best aboard in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and more. 

On his return, Lordan continued, “It's not until you get back race-riding that you realise how much you've missed it. I got back into Ballydoyle on January 3 and it was just a brilliant feeling to go back in there. It's a nice time of year. From finding two-year-olds, to looking forward to the three-year-olds, there's a lot of excitement in the air. Time will tell as the season goes on.”

 

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Winning Machine Sparks Fly Set For Lincoln Return At Doncaster

Winning machine Sparks Fly (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) is firmly on course to make her seasonal return in the Lincoln at Doncaster, trainer David Loughnane confirmed. 

An eight-time winner, Sparks Fly landed a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud by a whopping 12 lengths last term, and connections are now eyeing big-race riches at Doncaster. 

Loughnane said, “She was a real flagbearer for us [last season]. She was the winning-most horse in Britain and she started off with a rating of 59 and finished off on 107-that was exceptional.”

He added, “She's wintered really nicely, she enjoyed her holiday but she gets bored pretty quickly, so we were quite keen to get her back into work. She's not one that likes to be out of work for long but she's done well for a break.

“At the moment, our first port of call will be the Lincoln if all goes to plan, she gets there on time and the ground is right for her. We'll probably look to campaign her in the first half of the season, give her a little break in the middle part and then bring her back again for the second half.”

Sparks Fly, who carries the silks of her owner-breeder David Lowe, can be backed at odds of 16-1 for the Lincoln. 

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