Delightful Laos emerges as a Hong Kong Derby contender as Tony Cruz posts a treble
Tony Cruz will aim to add further lustre to his extraordinary Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) record after Delightful Laos (Baltic King) emerged as a potential Classic contender with victory in the Class 2 Chater Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley yesterday.
Crowning a dominant night for Cruz, the Irish import will now be set for the Hong Kong Classic Cup (Listed, 1800m) – the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series – at Sha Tin on February 21.
With four Derby triumphs as a jockey with Co-Tack (Top Role) (1983), Tea For Two II (Northfields) (1987), Clear City (Bolak) (1987) and Makarpura Star (Native Kingdom) (1995) and two more as a trainer with Lucky Owners (Danehill) (2004) and Helene Mascot (Peintre Celebre) (2008), Cruz knows what it takes to win Hong Kong’s premier staying test for four-year-olds.
“We’ll try for the Classic Cup with Delightful Laos and we’ll see from there,” Cruz said. “Then we’ll enter him for the Derby as well.
“Hopefully now he has won, he showed a lot of promise (tonight), I’m sure the handicapper will consider him to be in the race.
“I believe this horse really wants 2000 metres. He likes the fast ground, he’s a big horse but if he can get into the race, I would love to run him there.”
Cruz boosted his 2020/21 stable tally to 31 with a treble after California Legend (Camelot) (Christophe Soumillon) and Dream Warriors (Smart Missile) (Karis Teetan) preceded Derek Leung and Delightful Laos into the winners’ circle.
A son of Baltic King (Danetime), Delightful Laos has recorded three wins in Hong Kong with each of them materialising over 1650 metres at the city circuit.
Christophe Soumillon made an inspiring recovery from the shattering disappointment of suffering injury aboard Enrich Delight (Medaglia D’Oro) in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (Listed, 1600m) on Sunday to register a double.
The Belgian partnered California Legend to victory in the Class 5 Queensway Handicap (1650m) for Cruz before guiding We The South (Your Song) to a comprehensive success in the Class 3 Connaught Handicap (1000m) for Frankie Lor.
Soumillon was stood down by doctors at Sha Tin after suffering a back strain in the incident with Enrich Delight but was determined to rebound strongly at Happy Valley.
“The back is not great but it’s still ok to ride,” Soumillon said.
Joao Moreira (77) maintained a 23-win buffer over Zac Purton (54) after the pair both produced doubles.
The Anomaly (Real Impact) became trainer Jimmy Ting’s first debut winner as a PPG (privately purchased griffin) with an upset success in the second section of the Class 4 Ice House Handicap (1200m).
Sent out as a 63-1 chance, the gelding might have defied the market, but confirmed Ting’s opinion of the three-year-old.
“I was a little bit surprised but I thought he would run very close because this race was not very strong,” Ting said after watching Keith Yeung thread a narrow gap late to win impressively.
“We got a good draw (barrier two) and I thought he would run very close. Before the race, I thought he would finish third, fourth or fifth – very close.
“To win is a little bit of a surprise but he is a good horse, a very good horse. I think his best distance is a mile.”
Yeung’s effort ended a run of outs for the rider since early November.
“He’s a good jockey and he is always riding trackwork for me and telling me what’s going on with the horses and so I give him some support,” Ting said.
Paul O’Sullivan and Zac Purton combined with another big-priced winner when 33-1 shot Moment Of Power (Exceed And Excel) again proved his sprinting prowess with his eighth victory over the 1000-metre course.
“He’s a little marvel, he’s a one-trick pony around the Valley,” O’Sullivan said after the veteran gelding led throughout to land the Class 4 Glenealy Handicap (1000m).
“He’s in the right place at the right time. He’s a very good speed horse.”
The eight-year-old had not won for almost two years but a gradual drop through the classes to last night’s contest was the key to the belated breakthrough.
Purton also succeeded on Ever Force (Toronado) for Danny Shum, while Moreira bookended the meeting by scoring with Tigerlad (Tiger Prawn) in the opener for Tony Millard and the John Size-trained Savaquin (Savabeel) in the last.
The victory was the 35th for Size this season, lifting the 11-time champion trainer to within four of Caspar Fownes (39).
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday.