Tag: Howard Liang

California Spangle Earns Dubai Date With Poignant QSJC Victory

Five months after the passing of owner Howard Liang, California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) recaptured some of his best form to post a front-running upset in Sunday's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse. In going one better in the 1400-metre contest than last year, the 6-year-old punched his ticket to Dubai for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint over a straight 1200-metre trip Mar. 30.

Having bested Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2022 G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, the €150,000 Goffs Orby acquisition won the G2 Sha Tin Trophy H. with 135 pounds on his back last October, but was was well-beaten in his next four starts. He beat just one home in defence of his Mile title in December and was last seen finishing fourth to the G1 Dubai Turf-bound Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) in the G1 Stewards Cup Jan. 21. His 10-1 starting price was the longest of his 24-race career and he rewarded those who kept the faith on a rainy Sunday afternoon in the New Territories.

Brenton Avdulla was at the controls for the first time, and he was after California Spangle from the bell to secure the front, as Healthy Happy (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) ranged up to apply a bit of pressure. Able to control the pace through the middle furlongs while clocking sectional times well outside standard, the bay turned for home full of run and never looked like surrendering the lead thereafter. The progressive Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) flashed home in a race-fastest :22.15 to claim second ahead of the rail-skimming Red Lion (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) in third.

Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) drifted from $1.80 (4-5) to jump as the $2.20 (6-5) favourite, and was snagged back to the rear by James McDonald after getting bumped around a bit by Beauty Eternal (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) down the back. He got going early while wide on the turn and finished off reasonably well, but too late to be fifth, 1 1/2 lengths adrift.

“It (victory) means everything, this horse was very important to the late Howard Liang,” said trainer Tony Cruz, who won the Queen's Silver Jubilee for the first time with the legendary Silent Witness (Aus) in 2005. “He bought the horse and I'm so glad he has won another Group 1. He is the best horse Howard raced and the exciting part of today is that California Spangle had to perform to go to Dubai–and now he's heading to Dubai and everybody is thrilled about it.”

California Spangle and Voyage Bubble are set to be joined on the trip to Dubai by Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}, Dubai Turf) and Sight Success (Aus) (Magnus {Aus}), who will look to improve on his fourth-place effort in the 2023 Al Quoz. According to South China Morning Post, Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will contest the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic if connections are extended an invitation.

Pedigree Notes:

A half-brother to the late Wychwood Warrior, who was third in a listed stakes going 1400 metres on the turf at Meydan for this breeder and trainer Mick Halford in 2015, California Spangle is out of a half-sister to G2 Hungerford S. and G3 Solario S. winner Shakespearean (Ire) (Shamardal). California Spangle's third dam produced French Group 3 winner and G1 Pouliches runner-up Pont-Aven (Ire) (Try My Best), whose offspring include MGSW/MG1SP Sainte Marine (Ire) (Kenmare {Fr}), MGSW Josr Algarhound (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), SW & MGSP Traou Mad (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) and SW & MGSP Cap Coz (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}).

Pearlitas Passion is also the dam of the unraced 4-year-old filly Alchimia (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and a 2-year-old full-brother to California Spangle that was unsold on a bid of €400,000 at last year's Orby Sale.

 

 

 

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
QUEEN'S SILVER JUBILEE CUP-G1, HK$13,000,000, Sha Tin, 3-10, 3yo/up, 1400mT, 1:22.27, gd.
1–CALIFORNIA SPANGLE (IRE), g, 6, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Pearlitas Passion (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire)
2nd Dam: Paimpolaise (Ire), by Priolo
3rd Dam: Basilea (Fr), by Frere Basile (Fr)
(€150,000 Ylg '19 GOFOCT). O-The Executors of the Estate of the Late Howard Liang Yum Shing; B-Michael Enright; T-Tony Cruz; J-Brenton Avdulla; HK$7,280,000. Lifetime Record: 24-12-6-2, HK$68,945,300. *1/2 to Wychwood Warrior (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), MSP-Ire, SP-UAE. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Galaxy Patch (Aus), 126, g, 4, Wandjina (Aus)–Voltara (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$50,000 Ylg '21 MMMAR). O-Yeung Kin Man; B-Summerset Park Stud (SA); T-Pierre Ng; J-Karis Teetan; HK$2,730,000. Gulinga Spirit
3–Red Lion (Ire), 126, g, 5, Belardo (Ire)–Crystal Idea (Ire), by Namid (GB). (€7,000 Ylg '20 TATDEC; £240,000 RNA HRA '2 GOFLON). O-The Hon Ronald Arculli GBM GBS JP & Johanna K J Arculli BBS; B-P Harney; T-John Size; J-Antoine Hamelin; HK$1,495,000. Fiach McHugh
Margins: 1, 1, 1. Odds: 10-1, 10-1, 17-1.
Also Ran: Beauty Eternal (Aus), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), Healthy Happy (Aus), Beauty Joy (Aus), Taj Dragon (Ire), Lucky With You (Aus), Son Pak Fu (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing.

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California Memory: The Little Horse That Could…And Did

A good horse can come from anywhere, can come in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps no horse in the history of the Hong Kong turf embodies that idea more than the diminutive, but wildly talented California Memory (Highest Honor {Fr}–Kalpita, by Spinning World).

Brookdale Farm’s Fred Seitz acquired Kalpita privately after she was led out unsold on a bid of 48,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2005 and the mare foaled a grey colt Mar. 2, 2006. Hailing from the female family of champions Bosra Sham (Woodman) and Hector Protector (Woodman), the colt was consigned by Seitz’s Brookdale Sales to the 2007 Keeneland September and was off to Europe following a winning bid of $65,000. In an ironic twist, his third dam has come to include Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor), whose son Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) is the early favorite for Sunday’s G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile.

Placed in his first two career starts in Madrid, Portus Blendium won his maiden at third asking at Dax in extreme southwestern France. He acquitted himself nicely at metropolitan tracks in early 2009, and it was a conditions victory at Chantilly that May that caught the attention of many, including Marie Yoshida.

“A good friend of mine, Francois Dupuis, contacted me and at the same time, my loyal and longtime Hong Kong client Dr. Thomas T.S. Liang was in search of a promising young racehorse. We contacted trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias, but it was only after his third-place finish in the Listed Prix Matchem that we were able to secure him.”

Ahead of Portus Blendium in the Matchem were future Godolphin star Cavalryman (GB) (Halling) and a future legend by the name of Cirrus des Aigles (Fr) (Even Top {Ire}). It would not be the final time the rivals met.

Portus Blendium made one final start in France, a third in the Listed Prix Tourgeville in August 2009, but tragedy struck a short time thereafter, as Dr. Liang passed away suddenly the following month. His final purchase was renamed California Memory by his family, who crossed their fingers that they might have a Derby runner on their hands.

Derby Dreams Dashed…

Under normal circumstances, it is tough to prepare a European import for a Classics season (for 4-year-olds in Hong Kong), but it was not straight-forward for California Memory. Having raced in France as a ridgling, he underwent gelding surgery once he got to Hong Kong, and made his local debut in February 2010, finishing 11th at long odds in the Hong Kong Classic Cup just one month prior to the Derby. It wasn’t meant to be. He returned a better horse that latter half of that season and would go on to win a pair of Class 1 handicaps, but he was no better than a 30-1 shot against the likes of veterans Irian (Ger) (Tertullian) and Viva Pataca (GB) (Marju {Ire}) in the 2011 G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m). Racing for Dr. Liang’s son Howard and with homegrown rider Matt Chadwick aboard, California Memory–all 981 pounds of him–got well back, but kicked hard in the final 200 meters to cause the boilover (see below), prompting commentator Darren Flindell to anoint California Memory a champion stayer of the future. A prescient comment, indeed.

“I vividly remember receiving a phone call from Howard Liang and there was so much emotion. I could not stop smiling and crying at the same time,” recollected Yoshida. “We could feel that something very special had just happened, as if Dr. Liang was there with us.”

 

WATCH: California Memory announces his arrival in the 2011 Hong Kong Gold Cup

 

A History Maker…

California Memory won the 2011 Sha Tin Trophy H. over an insufficient 1600-meter trip off a five-month layoff with 130 pounds on his back and was fourth at odds on in the G2 Jockey Club Cup ahead of that year’s Hong Kong Cup. Forced to race handier to a slow pace while facing true international competition for the first time, he was short of room at a crucial stage, but bulled his way through to defeat Irian, with his old mate Cirrus des Aigles fifth (video).

“We were so proud that this horse could represent Hong Kong and that Matthew Chadwick, who attended the Hong Kong Jockey Club jockeys’ school, would have such success,” Yoshida said.

If anything, California Memory was in even better form heading into the internationals of 2012. Having won the Jockey Club Cup this time around, he was the 17-10 favorite on the big day and it was an easy watch for his backers, as he ran to daylight after saving ground throughout and powered home easily best to become the first–and only–two-time winner of the richest of the HKIR (see below).

“Frankly, we were hoping California Memory could do it, but we did not 100% believe he could,” Yoshida reflected. “Tony Cruz had him in peak form and it was such a big honor for Howard Liang and his family to be there and race for Hong Kong. Everything happened in slow motion that day, it was surreal. It was a celebration of Dr. Liang’s life and the family’s long-term racing accomplishment in Hong Kong. Mrs. Liang and several grandchildren were there. It was just perfect.”

California Memory made the 2013 G1 Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) the last of his 12 career victories and earned him champion stayer honors that season. He retired from racing in 2015 with earnings of $6,687,501 and lives out his days at Living Legends just outside of Melbourne, where he shares space with other HKIR winners Silent Witness (Aus), Good Ba Ba, Peniaphobia (Ire), Mr Stunning (Aus), Beauty Only (Ire) and Designs On Rome (Ire).

Japan’s Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) could equal California Memory’s achievement when he goes out in defense of his title in Sunday’s Hong Kong Cup.

 

WATCH: California Memory goes back-to-back in the Cup

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