Chancheng Glory lifts Group 3 Centenary Vase at Sha Tin
Chancheng Glory (Mor Spirit) posted the biggest win of his career on Friday when taking out the Centenary Vase Handicap (Gr 3, 1800m) at Sha Tin.
Placed at Group 2 and Group 3 level previously, the gelding was tenacious from barrier nine in denying Winning Dragon (Ivan Denisovich) and Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) at odds of 6-1, clocking a time of 1m 46.67s under Hugh Bowman for Francis Lui.
“I was fortunate to get the opportunity to ride him. I get limited opportunities in these races with the weight conditions but it is what it is. I thought his run last start had a lot of merit against the highest quality of horses,” Bowman said.
“Today when he jumped out well and travelled – I was always very confident. He was aided by a nice genuine speed set by Sword Point and his class showed over the final two furlongs.”
Sword Point (American Pharoah) led the race until the 250-metre mark. Chancheng Glory raced in second throughout the contest before denying Winning Dragon by three-quarters of length.
Bred in the US, Chancheng Glory led home a first three for the Americas. The two-time Group 1-winning Winning Dragon hails from Chile, while Ensued is an American foaled son of the late Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo).
Chancheng Glory is now an eight-time winner from 23 starts. The five-year-old placed second behind Galaxy Patch (Wandjina) last term in the Lion Rock Trophy Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m) by a nose.
“He’s a Group 2 and Group 3 handicap horse, of course, if it is a Group 1 then maybe on his day. He’s [Bowman] a top jockey. I don’t have any worry about him,” Lui said.
Friday’s success was Chancheng Glory’s first this season. He headed into the event following consecutive sixth placings in December’s Hong Kong Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) and January’s Stewards’ Cup (Gr 1, 1600m).
Lui will plot a path towards the Champions Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) on April 27 at Sha Tin for Chancheng Glory, a race the trainer won three times with Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro).
Chancheng Glory will also take aim at the Hong Kong Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) at Sha Tin on February 23, the second leg of Hong Kong’s Triple Crown. Lui said: “I think he’ll go for the Gold Cup, 2000 [metres] suits him better than 1400 so he’ll go for that.”