After the feast of racing yesterday at Caulfield and Ascot in the UK, we were back at Shatin today for the always fashionable Sa Sa Ladies Purse Day.
Horse racing truly is a joy to behold when we get to see some of the best horses in the world – and which we did this weekend.
Running at Caulfield were Sepoy and More Joyous – and at Ascot, there was Dancing Rain and Deacon Blues plus the riding skills of the somewhat underrated Johnny Murtagh and the win of Frankel
Imagine a race where Australia’s superhorse Black Caviar takes on Frankel.
Now, that’s horse racing!
As for Shatin, the day started off with Darren Beadman taking off where he left off at Caulfield. Sure, though Mighty High flopped for him and trainer John Moore disastrously- and let’s not forget the connections of the hose who we happen to know quite well and had to carry their long faces back home- that’s racing and Beadman who rode a brilliant double yesterday putthe Caulfield Cup failure behind him and won on Sunny Smiles for trainer Danny Shum.
With Brett Doyle making a bold- and bizarre- move to get to the lead on Sabina and then peter out like a pricked balloon, Beadman bided his time and reeled in this leader and won easily. One does have to always wonder how much of a shake Beadman would give the Hong Kong Jockeys Championship if he wasn’t under a retainer to the John Moore stable.
One does have to always wonder how much of a shake Beadman would give the Hong Kong Jockeys Championship if he wasn’t under a retainer to the John Moore stable.
On the subject of the Jockeys Championship, one of the two jockeys always competing for it- and always the bridesmaid- Brett Prebble won the second race on the David Hall newcomer Country Charm.
As we have been told, Hall has a number of good newcomers in his yard and they must be followed especially when Prebble is on them.
The way Prebble defiantly and positively punched the air with his clenched fist showed that this was no fluke 16 to 1 win.
Prebble made it a double by winning the third race on the Tony Cruz-trained Redoute Star in a tough win beating Zac Purton on Kingston Spartacus with the hard luck story being Olivier Delouze on the favourite Mount Victory which just could not get a crack at them.
The Aussies were having a field day and by Race 3, Prebble was at odds-on to take out the day’s Jockeys Challenge.
Next, it was time for another Aussie to bring up a double when Aussie trainer David Hall’s 16 to 1 shot Wasabisabi- tipped by HKJC Paddock Parade expert- and Aussie- Jenny Chapman- won for jockey Derek KC Leung. It was a fine ride by young Leung and proved just what an improved jockey he is.
It was a fine ride by young Leung and proved just what an improved jockey he is.
While the Trackside team’s Brett Davis, not exactly the most fashionable man in town, struggled to figure out who “Terry Muggler” was, the Thierry Mugler Stakes – named after world famous designer Thierry Mugler – on Sa Sa Ladies Purse Day and Jenny Chapman waffled on about someone having “a snort here and there”, Race 5 saw an odds-on favourite in the John Size newcomer, Tuxedo.
A Tuxedo on a fashionable race day like the Sa Sa Ladies Purse Day and a salute to Mr “Muggler” an omen bet?
It was – and an easy and impressive win with an almost arrogant riding display by Douglas Whyte as if it to say, “Guys, this is going to shit in.”
On the other end of the spectrum, the very average Rock’N Typhoon, which has changed stables a few times before returning to Andreas Schutz this season, and has gone through numerous jockey changes finally won and which must have made former music executive Norman Cheng, a happy – and relieved – man.
Owned by Cheng’s wife- Lily- Tim Clark, who had come second on the horse the last time it ran, rode an intelligent race to scramble home in a slowly run race. It’s not a race to get excited about with very little upside to 99% of the horses competing. For us, we were happy for Cheng and, especially, jockey Clark.
It’s not a race to get excited about with very little upside to 99% of the horses competing.
For us, we were happy for the owners and, especially, jockey Clark.
Coming up was what many had come to watch- the Sa Sa Ladies Purse- and a race-to-race double for Tim Clark.
With Matthew Chadwick taking on its usual leader’s role on Super Pistachio and Familists following it, Clark on the John Moore – trained Jacobee gave it his all to run down Tye Angland on Familists.
The disappointment of the race was the favourite for the race – the other John Moore runner in the field – Destined For Glory.
But the way, the final odds for the winner ended up being only 4s showed that this was no “second-string” for the stable.
Tim Clark had arrived in Hong Kong with a bang!
Returning to racing with a BANG was the John Size-trained Fay Fay.
Drawn barrier 14, Douglas Whyte decided not to get into a speed battle.
Instead he settled it back and when Whyte said, “Go you good Fay Fay thing”, Fay Fay simply glided home and won eased down by over four lengths.
It was an even more awesome win than that of Tuxedo.
As expected, Best City ridden by Olivier Delouze won Race 9, but, boy, it was a close call with a HUGE run by Liberator and ridden by one of the French jockey’s best mates in Brett Prebble.
If Best City hadn’t won, we would have just packed it in.
It was a good win by the Caspar Fownes-trained galloper BUT it didn’t really impress us when compared to its very unlucky run the last time. Hmmmmm.
Despite a huge betting move on Lucky Bravo – 20s to 5s – and with it looking like a John Size quinella was on the cards with Voile Rouge, Brett Prebble came on Noble Alpha and took out the last race and rode off with a treble and the Jockeys Challenge.
All in all a perfect day at the he races- Fashions On The Field, some very good new horses, lots of Sa Sa models, lots of Sa Sa eye-candy, some great rides, two winners for Tim Clark including the win on Jacobee taking out the Sa Sa Ladies Purse and over 58,000 people enjoying every minute of it.
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