Derby Trial caps off a big weekend for Corrales
Former four-time Champion Macau Jockey Luis Corrales enjoyed one of his best weekends at the Taipa racetrack with five winners over the two days’ racing, capped off by his last-stride win in the Listed SJM Macau Derby Trial over 1500 metres (turf) on Winnie Star (Medaglia d’Oro).
In one of the most open Derby Trial fields for some years, Corrales settled the son of Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) near the tail of the field before making steady ground from the 800 metres via the rail. Once in the home straight he peeled Winnie Star off the fence into clear running; and once balanced the four-year-old produced a brilliant turn of foot and powered down the outside to snatch victory by a short-head over Star Of Yiu Cheung (Casino Prince) in a thrilling three-way finish, with Hostwin Epanoui (More Than Ready) a short-head away in third.
Winnie Star has now won four of his six starts and is looming as a great chance to give former Champion trainer Patrick Lee his first Macau Derby (Listed 1800m) victory.
Bred by Godolphin, Winnie Star was purchased by Patrick Lee for owner Mr. Chung Tat Fi for A$31,000 at the 2019 Gold Coast National Racehorse Sales. His dam Outdoor (Redoute’s Choice) is also the dam of Trekking, a winner of six stakes races including the 2019 Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm and most recently The Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Winnie Star was only starting to let down over the last 200 metres of Saturday’s 1500-metre contest, so the Derby trip of 1800 metres would seem to be perfect for the gelding. Race favorite Hostwin Saturn (Stratum) had no joy from his wide gate (11) and was caught three deep in the run and spoilt his chances by overacing. He was one-paced in the straight to finish sixth, four and a quarter lengths away. The Nick Moore-trained gelding was coming off a dominant win over 1800 metres in his start prior and still looms as the horse to beat in the SJM Derby on July 19.
Second placed Star Of Yiu Cheung was another that raced fiercely in the run when travelling in the box seat third, and showed plenty of fight to go down narrowly. The son of Casino Prince (Flying Spur) would need to relax a lot more in the run to get a strong 1800 metres. The runs by both Hostwin Epanoui and fifth-placed King Of Glamour (Eurozone) were full of merit. Hostwin Epanoui came home hard along the rail from near the tail of the field to just miss in a head-bobbing finish. King of Glamour was taken back from barrier eight by apprentice Eric Cheung and didn’t get into the race as he would have liked. He was only really getting into his work late and was only beaten four lengths. Beautiful Eighteen (Epaulette), who was coming off a big win last start at 1500 metres, was disappointing.
Modena Best (Medaglia d’Oro) was the first of Corrales winners for the weekend when he hit the line well on Friday night in the Class 3 over 1500 metres. Prepared by Wayne Smith, Modena Best is a former Australian galloper who raced there as Underground, winning three races in country New South Wales when trained by Brad Widdup.
Other wins for Corrales on Friday night were Lucky Gold (Catain Rio) prepared by Joe Lau in the Class 3 & 4 over 1050 metres, and Blackjack Mok (All Too Hard) trained by W H “Rambo” Tse in the Class 4 over 1510 metres. Saturday also saw Corrales quick off the mark when he ran away with the first of the day, the Maiden over 1200 metres, on the Danny Wong-trained Special Charger (Helmet).
Corrales has been on fire of late winning ten races so far for the month of May and after Saturday is on 35 winners for the season, leading Roger Yu (28) by seven victories, with J B Hamel in third spot on 23 winners. A fifth Senior Jockeys’ Championship is looming as a great possibility. Corrales also has won two Champion Apprentice Titles in Macau.
Patrick Lee has a few nice newcomers in his yard and, as well as his Derby Trial victory over the weekend, Lee led in another two winners in Diamond Moonlight (The Wow Signal) and Crispy Biscuit (Written Tycoon) both ridden by Peter Ho. Diamond Moonlight is a strong-looking son of The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner) who picked up his maiden win in the 2 & 3 Year Old Handicap over 1050 metres on the sand on Friday night.
Crispy Biscuit is a former Queenslander who raced there as Shaken Not Stirred, winning three races when prepared by Matthew Park. The four-year-old son of Written Tycoon (Iglesia) put up a good performance to win Saturday’s Class 2 & 3 over 1200 metres. Fired out of barrier 11 by Ho to zip across and sit off the leader Gem Glory (I Am Invincible), Crispy Biscuit really dug in well in the straight to go home stronger than Hostwin Shadow (Longhorn), with Gem Glory in third. Saturday’s win came off a good win on the all weather over 1050 metres on April 17.
Frenchman Stephane Ladjadj was back in the winners’ circle with a double over the weekend with Broadus (Danbird) and We Love Macau (Fast ‘N’ Famous). Broadus, prepared by Peter Leyshan, was the first of Ladjadj’s winners when he finished powerfully to take out the Class 5 & 6 over 1600 metres. We Love Macau was the second victory for Ladjadj when he won the Class 5 & 6 over 1500 metres on the turf on Saturday. Prepared by Joe Lau, We Love Macau was sporting blinkers for the first time after coming off three moderate runs prior to this victory. On Saturday the three-year-old son of Fast’N’Famous (Redoute’s Choice) landed in a great spot under Ladjadj to enjoy the run-of-the-race fifth on the rail. Momentarily held up at the top of the straight before finding clear running, the gelding sprinted quickly over the last 150 metres to beat Impeccable Genius (Dark Angel), with House Of Power (Niagara) in third.