Ho takes New Year honours
It’s a long way from winning a Rockhampton maiden to a good quality Class 3 in Macau, however, it proved no bar to the former Queensland galloper Famous Medal (Benfia), who overcame a tough run from his wide gate to bolt away with Saturday’s Class 3 over 1200 metres.
Ridden by Peter Ho, the Patrick Lee-prepared gelding worked hard to cross from his wide gate alongside race favourite Winter Typhoon (Canford Cliffs) to share a three-way battle for the lead.
Once in the straight, the bay gelding bounded away for an easy two and a quarter length win over Thar (Exceed And Excel) with Electroplate Alloy (Golden Archer) in third.
Famous Medal, who was named Beach Road in Queensland, was originally prepared by Clinton Taylor. The gelding had won a barrier trial at Yeppoon over 900 metres before stepping out in a two-year-old maiden at Rockhampton over 1200 metres back in July.
Sent out at odds of 9/1, the gelding did a nice job coming from the tail of the field to win by half a length at the line. That said, given that the runner-up Oswana (Whittington) took another five months to break his maiden status, it’s certainly not the type of form that would have you knocking over punters to get on in Saturday’s race, where he was moderately supported by connections to jump at 8/1.
A son of T J Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Benfica (Lonhro), Famous Medal is out of the Chateau Istana (Grand Lodge) mare Glisten. The mare plied her trade around the north Queensland tracks winning a Townsville maiden. Famous Medal is a nicely put together individual and only three years old; judging on Saturday’s victory, it’s onwards and upwards for the gelding and his owner Chan Yu Hau.
From a future viewpoint, the run of Derby hopeful Beauty Bolt (Redoute’s Choice) was an eye-catcher. The former Victorian filly, who was good enough to run fourth in the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) behind Miami Bound (Reliable Man), was running on strongly in the straight before running into a brick wall, and went to the line untested.
Peter Ho commenced the New Year with a bang, booting home three winners for the afternoon to take riding honours.
Ho combined with trainer Wayne Smith to win the first race for 2021 with the very promising Pursuing Eagle (Holy Roman Emperor), who easily accounted for his rivals in a handicap for three- and four-year-olds over 1200 metres.
It was win number three for Pursuing Eagle from ten starts to date, and his run time of 1:09.30 suggests better days are ahead.
Dare To Be (Nadeem), prepared by Stephen Chow, showed plenty of fight under Ho to cling onto victory by a neck in the Class 6 over 1500 metres, then had to continue the battle in the stewards’ room, after Luis Corrales – the rider of the second placegetter Master Paradise (Charge Forward) – fired in an objection.
After hearing all the evidence, the stewards panel headed by Australian Zane Turner concluded that, whilst there was a shift outward at the 100-metre point by Dare To Be resulting in both horses brushing together, considering the manner in which both horses were finishing off the race and the beaten margin, they could not be satisfied that Master Of Paradise would have finished in front of Dare To Be.
Ho now sits in equal third spot with Roger Yu on 13 wins for the season, with Corrales leading the charge on 18 victories, from Eric Cheung on 14 wins.
Hong Kong reject Arriba Arriba (Denman) made it two wins from two starts in the enclave with another easy victory in the Class 4 over 1200 metres under Corrales.
Prepared by Allan Tam, Arriba Arriba was backing up off his easy debut win from December 12 and was sent out at the prohibitive odds of $1.20. He sat off early leader River Applause (Hidden Dragon) until the top of the straight before racing away to win by almost three lengths in comfortable fashion.
Raced by Rick Ma, a long-time stable supporter of Tam, Arriba Arriba was originally a cheap buy for Aquanita Racing at just AUD$28,000 at the 2017 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sales.
The gelding found his way to Hong Kong and the stables of Chris So, where he showed speed before weakening to be beaten eight lengths in Class 4 over 1000 metres. The gelding was found to have suffered a bleeding attack and eventually found his way to Macau.
In Saturday’s win, the gelding looked first class and will have no trouble in reaching the higher grades.
Stephen Chow’s For Community (Jimmy Choux) continued on his winning way with an all-the-way win in the last of the day, the Class 4 (Division 1) over 1200 metres under Brazilian rider Dayversom Barros.
For Community made it win number five for owner Lau Yiu Tong when he made light work of his outside gate and ran away an easy winner over Smart Arrow (Smart Missile), with Northern Legend (Northern Meteor) in third. He has now had 22 starts for six wins and two placings, and has picked up over HKD$700,000 (approx. AUD$116,750) in prize-money.