Doctor Geoff lifts January Cup as Lui and Ho roll on
Doctor Geoff (Fast Company) scooted away with the January Cup Handicap (Gr 3, 1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night to set up a potentially big month for connections.
Francis Lui has emerged as a force in the trainer’s title race this season, aided by the ascendant Vincent Ho who has guided 11 of the stable’s 25 winners so far, and the pair linked-up with owner Huang Kai Wen for the feature with all three anticipating big results in the upcoming Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
Lui also trains Huang’s rising star More Than This (Dutch Art) heading into the Series’ first leg, the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 27 January, in which Ho is slated to ride Lui’s other exciting young talent, Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro). Huang, who also has Playa Del Puente (Elzaam) as a Classic Series candidate, is best known for his 2015 Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) victor Peniaphobia (Dandy Man).
But on Wednesday night the spotlight fell on Doctor Geoff, sixth in the final two legs of the 2018 Classic Series, who is shaping as something of a specialist these days over the Valley’s 1800m.
“He likes the track, he likes the distance and he had a light-weight,” Lui said after the six-year-old had pocketed a third win at the track and trip from as many runs.
“He enjoys it here because sometimes he’s nervous but when he comes here he’s calmer. The short straight here also seems to suit him better.”
Doctor Geoff, settled in a tracking spot outside race leader Time Warp (Archipenko), battled to the fore on the final turn and kicked on for a length and a half score despite hanging out in the run to the line. The winning time was 1m 48.10s.
“At one spot I thought Time Warp might be better than us, but when I hit the straight my horse picked up really well and was strong to the line,” Ho said.
Doctor Geoff – winner of the Tetrarch Stakes (Listed, 7f) as a three-year-old in Ireland – was making his Group race breakthrough, having raced in Hong Kong pattern grade only twice previously.
“I wouldn’t say I was confident about winning but he’s in good form and the preparation I’d given him, everything was ready for this race,” Lui said.
The diminutive gelding – weighing 1002lb for this test – carried a featherweight 115lb.
“He struggles with bigger weights,” Lui added before suggesting his charge might find things tough when he rises above his current 101 rating, with a light burden in Group 3 handicaps the ideal scenario.
“It will be difficult now – I’ll have to check the programme,” he said.
The Danny Shum-trained Harmony Victory (Public Purse) closed for second under Grant van Niekerk, while the Macau raider Sacred Capital (O’Reilly) had to wait for a gap before running on down the inside rail for third-place under Joao Moreira.
Ho snared a double when backing up in the next race, the Class 3 Great George Handicap (1800m), aboard the Ricky Yiu-trained World Famous (Reliable Man). The handler’s 32nd win of the campaign ensured he remained seven clear of Lui at the top of the premiership.
Zac Purton collected a sixth double at the track this season when the Benno Yung-trained Joyful Union (Towkay) lifted late to take section two of the Class 3 Causeway Handicap (1200m).
The champion jockey hit the mark earlier in race two, the second section of the Class 4 Kingston Handicap (1200m), when he steered the John Moore-trained Shouson (Star Witness) to a first local win on his 16th Hong Kong start.
Grant van Niekerk also bagged a double and took his tally for the season to 22, with Jimmy Ting becoming the eighth trainer to have provided the jockey with a winner this term.
The South African timed his drive with precision in the opener – section one of the Class 4 Kingston Handicap (1200m) – as he rousted the Me Tsui-trained Good For You (Thorn Park) on a late run to nick the spoils by a head.
Van Niekerk followed up two races later when he settled the Ting-trained Polymer Luck (Pins) outside the leader, cruised to the front upon turning for home and drove hard for the line. The Hong Kong International Sale graduate sealed his third career win on his 42nd outing.
Ting left the track with a treble. He made it a race-to-race double when What A Legend (Duporth) coasted past long-time leader Confucius Day (Ocean Park) for a cosy win under Chad Schofield in section three of the Class 4 Kingston Handicap (1200m).
The handler took the finale, section two of the Class 3 Causeway Handicap (1200m), when Baby (Medaglia d-Oro) responded to a power-packed Silvestre de Sousa drive.
First season trainer Douglas Whyte and jockey Karis Teetan have struck up a rich partnership and the duo enjoyed their fifth win from 15 pairings when Winning Endeavour (Casamento) broke his Hong Kong maiden with a late surge in division two of the Class 4 Paterson Handicap (1650m).