Unbelievable (Justify), a full-brother to the undefeated Cartier champion 2-year-old colt City of Troy and a veteran of five European starts when racing as Bertinelli for Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien, will become his boom sire's first starter in Hong Kong in the Class 3 Red Packet H. (1600m) at Monday's Chinese New Year meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse.
A son of G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), also the dam of Group 3 winner Military Style (War Front) as well as the latter's full-brothers–the Group 2-placed Absolute Ruler and the listed-placed King of Athens–Unbelievable won his maiden over the Dundalk all-weather in the second of two juvenile appearances last November. A first-up second over a mile and two furlongs at Cork last April, the colt validated 9-2 second favoritism in the London Gold Cup H. at Newbury the following month and was last seen finishing third to subsequent Group 3 winner and G1 St Leger third Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the King George V. S. (Hcp.) at Royal Ascot June 22.
Unbelievable is under the care of trainer Frankie Lor, a former assistant to top conditioners John Moore and John Size and Hong Kong's champion trainer during the 2021/2022 season. He has had a pair of barrier trials, including a running-on fifth Jan. 30 (video) going 1200 meters over the 'all-weather' track, but Lor told the HKJC's Nick Child that preparations have not been entirely straight-forward.
“I wanted to trial him in early December, but he had a temperature, so I had to wait a little bit,” Lor said. “Of course, the trial was a bit short for him, so that's why we start him over 1600 meters, but more ground later on.”
Unbelievable will race in the colors of the Frankie Lor Fu Chuen Trainer Syndicate and would have been imported with the hopes of making the gate for Hong Kong's richest domestic prize, the HK$26-million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) Mar. 24. Monday's race is clearly a jumping-off point, but Lor is hopeful that Unbelievable will do enough between now and then to earn a berth in the field.
“You can see his form is over 200 meters and further, but he's rated 80, so if he can pick up a few points, hopefully he can get into the Derby,” he said.
Unbelievable has drawn gate one in a field of 14 in the ninth race of the program at 4:40 p.m. local time. Derek Leung has the riding assignment.
Unbelievable is one of four sons of Justify currently registered in Hong Kong. The others are Pray For Mir (Aus) (ex Javaja), an A$950,000 Inglis Easter yearling who was perfect in two starts at the Sunshine Coast in Australia prior to his import; Call Me Supreme (Aus); and Miles Away (Aus), a son of SW & GISP Stopshoppingmaria (More Than Ready), who has also produced SW/GSP Mo Shopping (Uncle Mo) and MGSW Always Shopping (Awesome Again).
Perennial leading jockey Zac Purton fired in a six-timer Sunday at Sha Tin, his best day in 15 months, but he was unable to sweeten the deal in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup. Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}), the newly crowned world's best sprinter, was the $1.35 jolly to follow up on his victory in the G1 Longines Hong Sprint Dec. 10, but he was slow through the early stages and it ultimately spelled doom, as Derek Leung walked the dog astride Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) en route to a $38 boilover.
Having defeated the champion sprinter in the traditional opening-day Class 1 feature over Sunday's course and distance back in September–a race run at a snail's pace in wet conditions–Victor the Winner was an on-pace fourth in December's Group 1 contest and was exiting a seventh to Whizz Kid (Aus) (Shalaa {Ire}) in Group 3 company up the 1000-metre straight Jan. 7.
Accordingly sent off at rough odds Sunday, Victor the Winner nearly beat the gate and was immediately in front and was able to run leisurely sections in the lead, going the first 400 metres in :24.30 (standard :23.50) with Whizz Kid doing the chasing and Lucky Sweynesse buried back in the latter third of the field. Still traveling supremely easily on the turn, Victor the Winner got the opening 800 metres in :47.25 (standard :45.80), meaning he had plenty left when the real running started and he was never in any sort of danger in the run to the line. Hong Kong Sprint runner-up Lucky With You (Aus) (Artie Schiller) earned another top-level placing in second, while former champion Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) acquitted himself well in third. Despite a final sectional clocking of a race-fastest :21.98, Lucky Sweynesse could do no better than sixth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
“It feels great. Thank you for the opportunity from the owner and the trainer,” said homegrown rider Derek Leung, annexing his first Group 1 since guiding Beauty Generation (NZ) in the 2017 Hong Kong Mile. “We drew an outside gate, but we flew out of the gate, so (we) took advantage and just went forward–he was quite relaxed after that and at the 500m, I knew he was going to kick very strong. Very lucky, it was a win.”
Winning trainer Danny Shum, who sent Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) to Australia to land the G1 Cox Plate last October, has a potential overseas target in mind for Victor the Winner, namely the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Mar. 24.
“I entered him in Japan over 1200m, so I will see how he pulls up and then decide if I keep him in Hong Kong or send him to Japan in March,” Shum said. “I've considered Japan for a long time, because it's a left-hand turn. In the morning, his left-hand turn is better than his right-hand turn, so we have to give him a chance overseas.”
Of the beaten favourite, Purton told South China Morning Post: “He just couldn't get going early and that's his Achilles' heel. Some days he just can't show any gate speed, which was the case today. Once all the horses got their spot, they just slammed on the brakes and he was back in a bad spot. There is not much you can do about it.”
Victor the Winner is the 35th stakes winner and 13th group/graded winner for Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado, now the sire of five elite-level scorers worldwide.
Swettenham purchased the stakes-placed Noetic for A$100,000 from the Patinack Farm dispersal in September 2013 and the mare produced her first foal for Adam Sangster about a month later. A half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Starlight Lady (Aus) (Fantastic Light), Noetic is the dam of three winners from five to the races and her most recent produce is a yearling filly by Swettenham's I Am Immortal (Aus), who was purchased for A$5,500 in utero from the 2022 Inglis June Online Sale. The filly was s bought back on a bid of A$150,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale last June.
Victor the Winner's fourth dam, Big Dreams (Great Above), produced two-time American champion sprinter Housebuster (Mt. Livermore) and the family also includes Nutella Fella (Runhappy), winner in the US of the 2023 GI Hopeful S.
According to the Australian Stud Book, Noetic passed away Mar. 2, 2023.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong CENTENARY SPRINT CUP-G1, HK$13,000,000, Sha Tin, 1-28, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.43, gd.
1–VICTOR THE WINNER (AUS), 126, g, 5, by Toronado (Ire) 1st Dam: Noetic (Aus) (SP-Aus), by Cape Cross (Ire) 2nd Dam: Dancing Starlight, by Atticus 3rd Dam: Night and Dreams, by Fappiano 1ST STAKES WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (A$180,000 Ylg '20 INGMAR). O-Chu Yun Lau; B-Adam Sangster (Vic); T-Danny Shum; J-Derek Leung; HK$7,280,000. Lifetime Record: 14-7-2-0, HK$19,744,025. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lucky With You (Aus), 126, g, 6, Artie Schiller–Heredera (Aus), by Northern Meteor (Aus). (A$130,000 Ylg '19 INGMAR). O-Vincent Leung Man Him; B-Emirates Park Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Frankie Lor; J-Andrea Atzeni; HK$2,730,000.
3–Wellington (Aus), 126, g, 7, All Too Hard (Aus)–Mihiri (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$70,000 Ylg '18 MMGCYS). O-Mr & Mrs Michael Cheng Wing On & Jeffrey Cheng Man Cheong; B-Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd, David Paradise, Steve McCann (NSW); T-Jamie Richards; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$1,495,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 37-1, 19-1, 6-1.
Also Ran: Son Pak Fu (Aus), Flying Ace (NZ), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), Taj Dragon (Ire), Whizz Kid (Aus), Packing Treadmill (Aus), Courier Wonder (NZ), Duke Wai (NZ), Sight Success (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.
Coronavirus dictated that it wasn't exactly business at usual at Happy Valley Racecourse for the staging of Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship. But there was a return to at least some semblance of normalcy, as a crowd of about 11,000 fans filed into the stands and into the beer garden to watch Silvestre de Sousa finish level with Tom Marquand to cause a dead heat for just the third time in the history of the event. The duo shared HK$700,000 (£73,544) in prize money.
COVID-19 had already resulted original IJC invitees Yuga Kawada and Jye McNeil being sidelined for the meeting, and the virus claimed a third would-be participant Wednesday when France's Mickael Barzalona tested positive. Zac Purton was a warm favourite to bag a third IJC, but at the end of the day, he struck out, and the competition saw a different jockey win each of the four legs, forcing a countback to decide the winner–or, in this case, winners.
Vincent Ho, who will team up with Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) for a three-peat attempt in Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, struck in the first leg of the sequence driving the 8-1 chance Handsome Rebel (Aus) (Denman {Aus}) to a narrow victory over Faribault (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) (video) for trainer Jamie Richards.
Derek Leung took Barzalona's place in the IJC and made the most of the opportunity in the second leg, scoring by a short head astride 135-pound topweight Win Win Fighter (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) after favoured Royal Pride (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) slashed through one off the fence and looked on his way to victory (video) for McNeil's replacement Hugh Bowman. In was another feather in the cap for the homegrown Leung, whose previous crowning moment came aboard Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) in the 2017 Hong Kong Mile.
Neither Marquand nor De Sousa had pointed heading into the third of the IJC races, but that changed when Marquand's 11-1 chance Winning Dragon (Chi) (Ivan Denisovich) pegged back longshot Red Majesty (NZ) (Ferlax {NZ}), who was well-rated from the front by Lyle Hewitson–subbing for Kawada–but just failed to see it out at nearly 40-1 (video).
With as many as nine chances heading into the finale, it was De Sousa who capitalized from close range on Adios (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), just holding off a late surge from Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) (video), a two-time winner and seventh in the Brittania H. at Royal Ascot this year for trainer Andrew Slattery when racing as Finach McHugh (Ire). Red Lion would have made Australia's Jamie Kah–who took a Class 3 handicap earlier in the evening for Douglas Whyte–the outright winner on the occasion of her 27th birthday, but the event was declared a tie, as both Marquand and De Sousa posted fourths in other legs of the series. Ho's best finish outside of his was a fifth-place effort, while Leung's next best was a sixth.
“To finish joint-top with Silvestre is pretty epic,” said Marquand, who finished tied for second behind Zac Purton here 12 months ago. “He's been champion jockey back home, he works so hard and is someone you look up to in the weighing room. It's a huge honour and sometimes you have to pinch yourself that these things are happening.”
Marquand's wife Hollie Doyle, third in the final IJC race after being under a COVID cloud until she was cleared to participate Tuesday, closed the Happy Valley meeting with a 9-1 upset of the Class 2 United Kingdom H. (1800m) on Spirited Express (Aus) (No Nay Never).
De Sousa, winner of the 2018 IJC, said: “I'm just delighted. It's my second time winning and I finished placed another time. In the last leg I just felt the crowd and although it was a long last half furlong, thank God he got his head down and we gave it everything.”
In a race where the final time was outside the standard of Class 3 handicap horses and well over a full second slower than what typical group-level milers put up, reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) employed a galactic late turn of speed to win for the 15th straight time and for the 18th time in 19 career starts, successfully defending his title in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse. The 6-year-old has not tasted defeat in almost 2 1/2 years and has now drawn to within two of the legendary Silent Witness (Aus)'s record 17-race winning streak. The next hurdle is the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile in three weeks' time.
Wrangled back to last after leaving the widest berth in the field of seven, Golden Sixty, first-up since winning the G1 FWD Champions Mile in late April, fell into a good rhythm as Blake Shinn sent Southern Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) through to lead through an opening 400 metres in :26.19 (standard :24.80), as Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) tracked from second. Positions were unchanged as Southern Legend took them into the final half-mile, having gone just :50.35 (standard :47.70) for the first 800, as Golden Sixty continued to race in a detached last.
The task at hand looked desperate midway on the turn, with the pace about to go in for the sprint home. But Vincent Ho, who always rides the gelding with supreme confidence, went for his mount in earnest at the top of the straight. He switched him to the grandstand side, was hand-ridden into the final furlong, went to Waikuku and fellow BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Sky Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) at the 150 and edged clear to win cosily. Golden Sixty covered his final half-mile in a wicked :43.20, with a final 400 metres in an equally spectacular :21.59.
Golden Sixty now owns a record-equalling 18 Hong Kong wins, joining Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}) and the aforementioned Silent Witness.
“He definitely wasn't at his best today and we're still building him up,” the winning rider said. “After this race he should be pretty close to his top form. We'll see how he pulls up and do some recovery work on him and get him ready for the Internationals.”
Golden Sixty had heretofore been allowed to do only the necessary in his morning trials, but had won no fewer than three of those heading into this comeback run.
“Golden Sixty's morning trackwork has been quite impressive, he's more mature than last season,” commented victorious trainer Francis Lui. “I discussed it with Vincent and he seemed happy with the training and how he was behaving at trackwork.”
Bred in Kentucky by Manganaro LLC, Gaudeamus was purchased by Newmarket International from the Lane's End consignment for $60,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September sale. Trained by Jim Bolger for his wife Jackie, Gaudeamus posted her most important victory in the 2006 G2 Debutante S. at Leopardstown. Bred to the late Pivotal (GB) to Southern Hemisphere time in 2007, Gaudeamus produced her first foal, a colt, for Bob and Rosemary Scarborough's Wood Nook Farm in the Australian winter of 2008.
Gaudeamus was purchased for A$160,000 by Josh Hutchins Bloodstock carrying the foal that would become Golden Sixty at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. The mare's first Australian foal of note was Igitur, who went on to be third in the 2017 Listed Tasmanian Derby, and a few months later, Gaudeamus was bought back on a bid of A$75,000 in foal to Choisir at the National Broodmare Sale. That offspring, Rainbow Connection (Aus), was runner-up in the 2021 G3 Hawkesbury Guineas, and the decision to retain the mare looks sufficiently wise in retrospect.
Gaudeamus's yearling filly by Capitalist (Aus) sold to All Winners Thoroughbreds for A$425,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. Gaudeamus missed to Trapeze Artist (Aus) for 2020 and was bred to Wootton Bassett (GB) late last month. This is also the female family of champion Bosra Sham (Woodman), her champion full-brother Hector Protector and French Classic winner Shanghai (Procida).
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK PRIVATE WEALTH JOCKEY CLUB MILE-G2, HK$4,750,000 (£453,485/€540,386/A$842,728/US$609,666), Sha Tin, 11-21, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34.55, gd.
1–GOLDEN SIXTY (AUS), 128, g, 6, by Medaglia d'Oro 1st Dam: Gaudeamus (GSW-Ire, $179,846), by Distorted Humor 2nd Dam: Leo's Lucky Lady, by Seattle Slew 3rd Dam: Konafa, by Damascus
(A$120,000 Ylg '17 MMGCYS; NZ$300,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Stanley Chan Ka Leung; B-Asco International Pty Ltd (Qld); T-Francis Lui K W; J-Vincent Ho C Y; HK$2,707,500. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. Middle Distance Horse, Ch. 4yo, Ch. Miler & MG1SW-HK, 19-18-0-0, HK$80,633,100. *1/2 to Igitur (Aus) (Helmet {Aus}), SP-Aus, $137,392; and Rainbow Connection (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), GSP-Aus. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Waikuku (Ire), 123, g, 6, Harbour Watch (Ire)–London Plane (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€33,000 Ylg '16 TISEP). O-Jocelyn Siu Yang Hin Ting; B-Shane Molan; T-John Size; J-Zac Purton; HK$1,045,000.
3–Sky Darci (NZ), 123, g, 5, Darci Brahma (NZ)–Strictly Maternal (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$160,000 Ylg '18 NZBJAN). O-Jessica Kwan Mun Hang; B-M W Freeman & D G Price; T-Caspar Fownes; J-Joao Moreira; HK$546,250.
Margins: 1, 1HF, 1. Odds: 15-100, 14-1, 9-1.
Also Ran: More Than This (GB), Southern Legend (Aus), Champion's Way (Aus), Preciousship (Ire). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
Lucky Patch Train Rolls On In Jockey Club Sprint…
For the second straight time at group level, Lucky Patch (NZ) (El Roca {Aus}), bet down in the late stages, claimed the scalps of some higher-profile sprinters, punching his ticket to the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint with a mild upset in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint.
Computer Patch (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) and favoured Courier Wonder (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) eyeballed one another early on, as the in-form Jerry Chau settled the outposted Lucky Patch, winner of the Oct. 17 G2 Premier Bowl H. when last seen, about midfield and racing mostly with cover through the opening 600 metres. Traveling with his head on his chest on the back of Premier Bowl runner-up Super Wealthy (Aus) (Epaulette {Aus}) around the turn, Lucky Patch went on the attack four off the inside in upper stretch, gathered up a wayward Courier Wonder with a half-furlong to race and held sway as the hulking Naboo Attack (Aus) (Warhead {Aus}) made belated progress down the centre. Sky Field (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) boxed on for third. The comebacking Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), last year's G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize hero, raced near the back of the pack and came home seventh, beaten three lengths.
“It's my best win in Hong Kong,” said winning jockey Jerry Chau, who is a graduate of the HKJC Apprentice Jockeys' School like Vincent Ho. “We were lucky, they went fast early and I had a chance to get in and get cover. It's very exciting.”
Pedigree Notes:
Lucky Patch is one of three stakes winners, two at group level, for his sire, a son of Fastnet Rock (Aus) who stands at Westbury Stud in New Zealand. Gerry Harvey's Barramul Stud acquired Lucky Patch's dam in foal to Mossman (Aus) for A$50,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Gould is also the dam of Lucky Patch's 4-year-old full-sister Escudo (NZ), the 3-year-old filly Kattegat (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and a yearling colt by the latter sire. She was bred back to El Roca.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK PRIVATE BANKING JOCKEY CLUB SPRINT-G2, HK$4,750,000 (£453,485/€540,386/A$842,728/US$609,666), Sha Tin, 11-21, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:07.98, gd.
1–LUCKY PATCH (NZ), 123, g, 5, by El Roca (Aus) 1st Dam: Gould (Aus), by Danehill Dancer (Ire) 2nd Dam: Charming (Aus), by Sir Tristram (Ire) 3rd Dam: Captivation (Aus), by Vain (Aus)
(A$40,000 Ylg '18 MMJUN). O-Patch Syndicate; B-G Harvey; T-Francis Lui KW; J-Jerry Chau C L; HK$2,707,500. Lifetime Record: 17-7-3-3, HK$14,106,540. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Naboo Attack (Aus), 123, g, 5, Warhead (Aus)–Commanding Queen (Aus), by Commands (Aus). O-Cheung Yeuk Lee; B-Windemere Stud (Qld); T-David Hayes; J-Zac Purton; HK$1,045,000.
3–Sky Field (Aus), 123, g, 5, Deep Field (Aus)–Laravissante (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ). (NZ$175,000 Ylg '18 NZBJAN). O-Kwan Shiu Man, Jessica Kwan Mun Hang & Jeffrey Kwan Chun Ming; B-M Ryan (NSW); T-Caspar Fownes; J-Blake Shinn; HK$546,250.
Margins: 3/4, HF, 1. Odds: 9-2, 71-10, 29-5.
Also Ran: Computer Patch (Aus), Courier Wonder (NZ), Stronger (Aus), Wellington (Aus), Hot King Prawn (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus), Amazing Star (NZ). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
Reliable Team All The Way In Jockey Club Cup…
The hard-knocking Reliable Team (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) was given a positive ride by HKJC Apprentice Jockeys' School grad Derek Leung, got away with obscenely slow sectionals and, unsurprisingly, had enough in the tank to cause a 16-1 upset in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup.
The complexion of the 10-furlong lead-up into the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup changed markedly when presumed pace player Ka Ying Star (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) missed the kick, allowing Reliable Team to bowl along through a Standardbred-like :27.47, prompting HKJC commentator Mark McNamara to point out that “the Shing Mun river is flowing faster” than the Cup field going past the 1400-metre point. It was at about that stage that Matthew Chadwick allowed Ka Ying Star, trying the 10 furlongs of this as opposed to the Mile, to stride up to be a more forward factor as the 800 metres was posted in :53.95. Niggled along into the final half-mile–the six furlong split was a nearly unbelievable 1:19.17–ReliableTeam sprinted when asked and kicked on gamely to just hold a late lunge from Ka Ying Star. Favoured Glorious Dragon (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) raced near the tail and closed off well for third, while second choice Panfield (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky) weakened to last after sitting up on whatever pace there was, though was beaten just 2 1/2 lengths.
“We were always trying to get him to lead in the race and he got a bit lucky, there was no pressure on us to go too quick,” Leung said. “So, the horse was quite relaxed and he's very fit. Step by step, we build the speed up. He responded very well and I think we were very lucky.”
Pedigree Notes:
Bought back when reserved for NZ$50,000 at the 2017 NZB Select Yearling Sale, Reliable Team improved by leaps and bounds to fetch NZ$430,000 at that year's NZB Ready To Run Sale (under-tack breeze, see below), the same event that produced Golden Sixty (NZ$300,000). Reliable Team is the 18th black-type winner and 13th group winner for Reliable Man, a son of Dalakhani (Ire) who stands alongside Lucky Patch's sire at Westbury Stud.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK JOCKEY CLUB CUP-G2, HK$4,750,000 (£453,485/€540,386/A$842,728/US$609,666), Sha Tin, 11-21, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:03.86, gd.
1–RELIABLE TEAM (NZ), 123, g, 6, by Reliable Man (GB) 1st Dam: Stella Doro (NZ), by Faltaat 2nd Dam: Lady Joelyn (NZ), by Noble Bijou 3rd Dam: Princess Camille (NZ), by Skyhawk (GB) 1ST STAKES WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (NZ$50,000 RNA Ylg '17 NZBFEB; NZ$430,000 2yo '17 NZBRTR). O-Nova Stella Syndicate; B-Tullycrine Ltd; T-Frankie Lor F C; J-Derek Leung K C; HK$2,707,500. Lifetime Record: 28-7-3-5, HK$12,765,800. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ka Ying Star (GB), 123, g, 6, Cityscape (GB)–Casual Glance (GB), by Sinndar (Ire). O-Leung Shek Kong; B-Kingsclere Stud; T-Tony Cruz A S; J-Matthew Chadwick; HK$1,045,000.
3–Glorious Dragon (Ire), 123, g, 6, Teofilo (Ire)–Tipperary Honor (Fr), by Highest Honor (Fr). (€235,000 Ylg '16 ARQOCT). O-LWF Family Syndicate; B-Team Hogdala AB; T-Francis Lui K W; J-Zac Purton; HK$546,250.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, NO. Odds: 16-1, 28-5, 9-10.
Also Ran: Columbus County (NZ), Russian Emperor (Ire), Savvy Nine (Fr), Panfield (Chi). Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
