Steve Moran In Hong Kong
Galileo’s (Sadler’s Wells) handsome son The United States, of course, officially represents Australia as he has his final run before a mooted stud career outside Australia.
The Robert Hickmott-trained stallion certainly impressed jockey Brett Prebble, one of four Australians who’ll ride in Sunday’s Group One, when he rode him in his final gallop on Friday. “Lovely horse with a great temperament and he travelled so well in his work. One of those horses who’ll just do whatever you ask him to do, go whatever speed you want him to. He gave me a great feel,” Prebble said.
Hong Kong residents Prebble and Zac Purton are joined in Sunday’s action by visitors Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry who have become almost as familiar, to Hong Kong racing fans, as any of the locally based superstars headed by Joao Moreira.
And that’s no surprise given the frequency of their major race hit and run raids in recent years. Not to mention considerable success.
But what might surprise is they have won three of the past four editions of the HK$20,000,000 race while Moreira, Purton and Prebble are yet to win the race.
Berry rides Designs On Rome (Holy Roman Emperor) on whom he won the race in 2014; Bowman chases back to back wins aboard the better fancied Werther (Tavistock); and Purton’s on Secret Weapon (Choisir).
Berry, of course, claimed a momentous victory aboard Military Attack (Oratorio (IRE)) in the 2013 edition and so became the first HKJC licensed rider to win a Group One race on the first day of his riding contract.
Victory this year would be similarly noteworthy as Designs On Rome takes his chance to emulate yet another Moore trained Queen Elizabeth II Cup hero in Viva Pataca (Marju) who surprised winning at 16/1 in 2010 which was three years after his initial win in 2007.
Berry already has five Group One wins in Hong Kong under his belt after steering Chautauqua (Encosta De Lago) to a memorable last-to-first win in last year’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr 1, 12000m) while Bowman has partnered Werther in each of his four Hong Kong wins which also includes the Hong Kong Derby (Gr 1, 2000m).
The odds look to be against Berry winning, despite the Viva Pataca precedent, as the seven-year-old Designs On Rome has been well held at his past five starts. However, a second win for Bowman and Werther would hardly be unexpected as the New Zealand bred gelding is unbeaten in three runs over the Sha Tin 2000 metres course.
Pakistan Star (Shamardal) looms as the horse to beat, in my view, from Werther with Japan’s Neorealism (Neo Universe) the other winning chance while Dicton (Lawman), Blazing Speed (Dylan Thomas) and The United States can certainly be competitive.
The United States did win his only previous start at 2000 metres going right-handed on good ground. The horse looked well when he finally emerged from quarantine on day four and there seems to be positive vibe from the Hickmott-Williams team.
In other news from Hong Kong, Hugh Bowman has picked up the ride on last year’s runner-up Lucky Bubbles (Sebring) in next week’s Chairman’s Sprint Prize. He replaces Prebble who’s ridden the horse in every one of his 16 starts in Hong Kong which includes six wins. A disappointed Prebble will now ride Amazing Kids (Falkirk).
Chairmans Sprint Prize contenders Thewizardofoz (Redoute’s Choice), Aerovelocity (Pins) and Blizzard (Starcraft) finished in that order in the first of three barrier trials yesterday. They each trialled satisfactorily along with fourth placed My Darling (Mossman) from the John Size yard. Size’s promising galloper D B Pin (Darci Brahma) also impressed in the second trial.
Size, who takes over the training of Gunnison (Not A Single Doubt) who made $1,400,000 at the recent Inglis Chairman’s Sale, will have four runners in next week’s Group One Sprint in which seven Australian jockeys will ride and which features eight horses bred in Australia and two from New Zealand.
They are Size’s four headed by the impressive Mr Stunning (Exceed And Excel) with fellow Australian-breds Sun Jewellery (Snitzel) and Thewizardofoz – plus the NZ-bred Amazing Kids along with Lucky Bubbles, Not Listenin’tome (Dylan Thomas), Blizzard, Aerovelocity, Strathmore (Fastnet Rock) and Dashing Fellow (Duporth).
Chad Schofield, Damien Lane and Sam Clipperton will join Purton, Prebble, Bowman and Berry in the sprint fray.