HONG KONG SWEEPS ALL IN STUNNING LONGINES HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL RACES

Glorious Forever’s victory in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup wrapped up a first ever Hong Kong clean-sweep at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and capped a stellar occasion of world class sport at Sha Tin Racecourse, Sunday, 9 December, 2018.

A vocal crowd of 96,388 enjoyed four stunning races. Beauty Generation was sensational in slamming a top-class field in the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile; Frankie Lor sealed a breakthrough Group 1 with Mr Stunning in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint and achieved a remarkable double thanks to Glorious Forever; all after Exultant set the ball rolling with a head-bobbing victory in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Mr. Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a dream result and it is extremely satisfying to see the depth and quality of Hong Kong horses rising to the fore to win four Group 1 races against top-class overseas challengers. It is an amazing achievement and I will stress again that we have only 0.7% of the world’s horse population here in Hong Kong.”

Second-season trainer Frankie Lor, a stable hand’s son and former jockey in Hong Kong, achieved a G1 breakthrough with Mr Stunning in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint before doubling up with Glorious Forever in the HK$28 million feature. Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said that Lor’s rise “shows the Jockey Club’s dedication to developing Hong Kong talent to a world class standard.”

The afternoon’s four races carried record purses, being worth a total of HK$93 million, and crowned a week which also featured Silvestre de Sousa’s exciting triumph on Wednesday night at a star-packed LONGINES International Jockeys Championship, as well as Frankie Dettori receiving the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award at Friday night’s gala dinner.

The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races is established as horse racing’s year-end extravaganza and attracted many world-elite horsemen, with 24 overseas horses competing from Japan, Britain, France, Ireland, Australia and Singapore. “If you look at the quality of horses we have seen today, we have to be very satisfied,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “We had 21 individual G1 winners and seven horses rated 120 or above; Japan sent a very strong team of nine contenders and we are extremely happy that we have again attracted horses from some of the world’s top class trainers, like Sir Michael Stoute, Aidan O’Brien and Andre Fabre, and global giants like Godolphin, the Aga Khan and Juddmonte.”

The day’s turnover for the afternoon’s 10-race card was HK$1.605 billion, a new record for the day and a slight rise on 2017, while commingling turnover came in at HK$258 million. “This is our highest turnover ever for this day, which is a tremendous result,” he said. “And commingling was a record, too, with a figure of HK$258 million being 30% more than last year. That total does not include more than HK$215 million turnover which was bet in Japan on the four international races, and this all shows that there is a great international interest in Hong Kong racing among customers across the globe.

EXULTANT DEFEATS LYS GRACIEUX IN A LONGINES HONG KONG VASE THRILLER

– David Morgan

Exultant (inside) fends off Lys Gracieux to take the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Exultant and Lys Gracieux served up a finish to the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase of such gripping drama that it raised the Sha Tin faithful to their feet and lifted their roars to a thunderous cacophony. The Joao Moreira-ridden Japanese filly headed Exultant with 150 metres to go, only for Hong Kong’s newest hero to fight back under Zac Purton, scoring by a neck in 2m 26.56s. “I thought at that point Joao had the better of me,” Purton said. The Japanese raider’s trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, said: “I thought she won.”

Elation greeted the sight of Exultant’s head flashing past the post, a neck to the good over Lys Gracieux. The Irish import became only the third Hong Kong-trained galloper to claim the mile and a half feature following Indigenous (1998) and Dominant (2013). And the crowd was still abuzz with whoops and applause when Purton returned to unsaddle – fist-pumping, finger pointing, greeting trainer Tony Cruz with a grinning “Come on, Tony! Get in!”

Purton took the plaudits when Dominant’s deep-closing surge denied the British filly The Fugue five years ago. This time the Australian ace posted his mount a tracking second behind the Japanese mare, Crocosmia, before kicking on into the straight and then rallying to foil Moreira’s chasing drive. “He’s just an out and out stayer and we decided to put him up on the pace today against a quality field and just let him grind it out,” Purton said. “He’s the type of horse that if he’s going to get into a fight in the last 200 metres over a distance like this, you’d like to be on his back.”

Exultant (left) gives Hong Kong a third win in the Vase.

But even Purton thought the race had gone when Lys Gracieux, successful in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup the time before, rattled to the fore. “Joao had the momentum. But my bloke just seemed to be loafing along a little bit and as Joao came to me he actually rolled in and bumped my horse – that seemed to fire him back up and he found his second wind then.”

Moreira gave praise to Lys Gracieux and rued the hurly-burly nature of the contest. “No doubt her performance was outstanding against a horse that was running on his home yard and obviously knows the track inch-by inch,” the Brazilian said. “There were a few little issues people might not have seen as I got held up and horses bumped me at 600 metres. Those little things, I think, can affect the horse’s performance and those probably cost her the race, but overall I’ve got to express that I am extremely pleased with her performance.”

For Cruz, the win was a first in the Vase and completed a full set of all four Hong Kong International Races. “I’m over the moon, we all are,” he said. “This season he’s stronger, he’s more experienced, he knows his game better and he had a perfect run – Zac rode a perfect race.”
Exultant arrived in Hong Kong ahead of last season, having placed third in the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas. The Teofilo four-year-old proved his merit when third in the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March and built upon that with a pair of G3 wins and second to Pakistan Star in the G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) to round out that campaign. “As he’s getting older he’s getting stronger and better,” Cruz said. “He’s got that one speed and a lot of stamina, and he likes the fast track, too, so once he got that second position we were halfway there. “This horse has no speed so you have to have him up there and being drawn wide (10) was actually good for him because nothing was going to block him. I told Zac he had to be up there – the Japanese horse (Crocosmia) led, we sat second, it was perfect.”

With a G1 in the bag, Exultant could head overseas later in the season, although the handler was cautious about making any certain plans so soon after the race. “The Sheema Classic in Dubai would be a possibility,” he said. “I’ll have to decide with the owner but we’ll definitely make some entries overseas and consider those.”

The front pair drew two and a half lengths clear of third-placed Eziyra, trained by Dermot Weld.
“She had a dream run through behind the winner and she has a lot of stamina,” jockey Christophe Lemaire said. “She just lacked an instant reaction but she fought all the way to the line and at this level that is certainly her best performance. I know the Japanese filly (Lys Gracieux) and she is a very good horse.” Mark Weld, assistant trainer to his father, said: “Christophe Lemaire gave her an amazing ride, she was in a great position all the way round. She has run a fantastic, fantastic race – I think she was the first European runner home in what is arguably the toughest contest on the day. It was a fantastic performance and she is going to make the most amazing broodmare for her owner (the Aga Khan).”

The contest’s second-favourite Pakistan Star boxed home sixth of 14 after hitting trouble in what was a rough race in behind. “Pakistan Star got tightened at the top of the straight and things just didn’t go his way. We’ll take him back to 2000 metres for the time being,” Cruz said.

The Andre Fabre-trained Waldgeist started favourite on the back of his fourth in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October but fared no better than fifth. “We were very tight for room and we had no luck,” jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot said.

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DEJA VU ONE-TWO IN STUNNING LONGINES HONG KONG SPRINT

-Steve Moran

Mr Stunning successfully defends his crown in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint.

In a remarkable repeat of the 2017 edition, Mr Stunning not only again won the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), but also secured the win at the expense of the same horse in a landmark success for his trainer and jockey. However, the similarities do not extend beyond the deja vu exacta of Mr Stunning and D B Pin as the winner was, last year, trained by John Size, but is now in the hands of his one-time disciple Frankie Lor who was able to claim his first Group 1 win.

It was also a first Group 1 win in Hong Kong for jockey Karis Teetan who, 12 months earlier, had watched the race from the grandstand and was overwhelmed with his breakthrough at the top level. “He had a lovely trip through the race and I’m just so happy. It’s incredible. I’ve never felt like this. It’s the first time I’ve heard the crowd shouting like this. I just knew when I pressed the button he was going to go. He felt different today, felt so good,” he said. Mr Stunning was ably handled by the Mauritian jockey, slotted into the stalking trail, but even he conceded the race unfolded perfectly for the defending champion. “When Ivictory went forward to put some pressure on Hot King Prawn, I was pretty happy about that. My horse never travels too hard in a race but he was really so relaxed underneath me today,” Teetan said.

Mr Stunning, last year, held a neck margin over then stablemate D B Pin. Today, he extended the break to three-quarters of a length in Hong Kong’s premier sprint race to provide Lor with his first ‘major’ in his second season of training. “I’m very happy,” Lor said, “Karis did a great job out there. It took me a long time to get a trainer’s licence so I need to try my best to keep going and train more Group 1 winners. I think John (Size) might also be happy because I worked for him and he was a great boss.”

Sam Clipperton, who rode the runner-up D B Pin, was so close to his most significant win in Hong Kong and was more than gracious in defeat. “I just needed that luck and unfortunately, the luck enabled Karis to get a neck start on me and my horse is just held to the line. Well done to Karis, he deserves that win, he works bloody hard. I am very proud of my horse and he has run a cracker only second up,” Clipperton said.

Size had both the minor placegetters with Beat The Clock beaten a length and a quarter into third place which maintained his remarkable record of having finished top three at each of his 17 starts. The lowest rated runner Little Giant indicated that he belongs at the top level with his length and three quarters fourth while Singapore’s Lim’s Cruiser fared best of the visitors in seventh. The favourite Hot King Prawn wilted to finish ninth after being pressured in front. “He just didn’t race at his best today,” was all jockey Joao Moreira could offer immediately post race.

The race was delayed five minutes after Pingwu Spark, who could not be loaded into the starting gates, was scratched. Mr Stunning and D B Pin were two of the last horses to be loaded but fleet-footed from the start and emphatic at the end.

Teetan and trainer Frankie Lor celebrate their maiden success at the HKIR.

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BEAUTY GENERATION SOARS TO EMPHATIC SECOND LONGINES HONG KONG MILE

Beauty Generation demolishes a top-class field to take the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

John Moore has already produced one star miler to grace the highest reaches of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings in Able Friend but the trainer was left with no hesitation in proclaiming Beauty Generation superior, after Zac Purton steered him to an imperious three-length success. Japanese-trained mare Vivlos ended her career with a sterling effort when running down the outside to claim second from Southern Legend but by that stage, Purton was already savouring certain victory, easing Beauty Generation down at the end of a brutal demonstration. Not that the early portents were good as Purton was held three wide going down the back straight from his outside stall in 12. But riding with supreme confidence, he eased last year’s Mile hero past Comin’ Through and Southern Legend and was able to slot over to the rail before the 800m.

The sight of the reigning Hong Kong champion jockey sitting high in the saddle at the 400-metre mark told his pursuers Purton still had plenty of horse under him, and, under a hand ride, Beauty Generation streaked away for one of the easiest victories in recent LONGINES Hong Kong International Races history. “That’s what we all hoped we’d see today, I’m just happy for the horse that he’s come out and produced it on a big stage,” said Purton, who was making it HKIR win number eight following his Vase triumph with Exultant earlier. “He has shown everyone how brutally good he can be.”

Derek Leung was aboard for Beauty Generation’s breakthrough Group 1 success in this race 12 months ago but, after completing a perfect fifth win from five starts in tandem, Purton has a pretty good handle on what makes him so hard to beat. “His best attribute is he has got a very high cruising speed, he’s very comfortable rolling along at that speed and he can kick off it,” said Purton. “For the horses back in the field they’re already struggling to go the pace and when you’ve got to try and reel him in, it’s not an easy thing to do.”

For Moore it was also win number eight in the big four Group 1s at this showpiece meeting and the Hong Kong legend was in no doubt that he and we had witnessed the best of the lot. “That’s the most impressive by far,” said Moore. “What he did today, he was taken on inside, he had to do it the hard way as far as I was concerned. Once he got to the front he has high RPMs (revs per minute), he got him up and away he went. As far as I could see he wasn’t even hit.” As a man whose formative years were spent travelling the world with his globetrotting father George, Moore is keen to show Beauty Generation’s brilliance away from Sha Tin and will be doing his best to convince his owner, Patrick Kwok, that this is a horse that needs to light up the biggest meetings around the world, with the G1 Dubai Turf next March the preferred jumping-off point.

Zac Purton gets his eighth HKIR success.

“The owner and his father are of the opinion that they don’t come back the same horse when they travel but I’m trying to convince them that that’s not the case with the way that I travel my horses. There’s a few little tricks there to make sure. If we’re going to prove him we’re going to have to do it on the world stage: We’ve done it here; home ground; that’s the advantage; he’s done it easily. I’d love to travel him, to take him to Dubai where everyone says right, here’s the top three in the world. I’ve won the Shaheen and had a few placings over there. I know the venue very well and I believe he could travel. If everything goes to plan he could win there,” said Moore.

Vivlos has been first and third in the last two editions of the Dubai Turf and again produced a fine effort in running down Southern Legend to grab second under William Buick. “Mr (Yasuo) Tomomichi had her in great shape,” said Buick. “She ran a really good race and was comfortable through the run, but was beaten by one of the best of the best milers in the world.” The five-year-old daughter of Deep Impact also left Tomomichi glowing with pride on her career swansong before heading to Northern Farm.

Southern Legend was three lengths back when Beauty Generation set the track record here last month and was only a neck worse here in third for trainer Caspar Fownes.

Purton and trainer John Moore embrace after the victory.

It will be up to the international handicappers currently gathered in Hong Kong to decide whether Beauty Generation’s official mark of 126 can edge up again to close the year. In 2019 wider horizons will give him every chance of soaring to new heights.

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LOR’S GROUP 1 DOUBLE, IN WINNING THE G1 LONGINES HONG KONG CUP, MAY MARK CHANGING OF GUARD

Glorious Forever (left) completes a clean sweep of all four G1s for Hong Kong with a win in the LONGINES Hong Kong Cup.

Hong Kong’s Frankie Lor, in just his second season of training, today may well have announced himself as a likely future champion of his home town when Glorious Forever claimed the flagship HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m). The win, of course, followed Lor’s earlier success with Mr Stunning in the Hong Kong Sprint and this momentous double may point to an imminent changing of the guard on a day when all four feature races fell – for the first time – to Hong Kong trainers. Retirement could loom at the end of next season for John Moore, who won the Hong Kong Mile, while Tony Cruz, who had the Hong Kong Vase winner, is nearer to the end than start of his career.

In just 18 months, indeed in less than two hours this afternoon, Lor managed to train as many Hong Kong International Races winners as his mentor John Size and only Cruz, Moore and Ricky Yiu have more among Hong Kong-based trainers (at the time of the wins).

Glorious Forever, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, defied his elder brother Time Warp and two highly credentialled Japanese challengers to lead throughout in the Cup in a performance which fulfilled the promise he’s shown for some time. The Archipenko gelding held out late-closing Japanese filly Deirdre to win by a length with his brother and regular recent adversary Time Warp a short-head back in third place. “This is special. Yes today is amazing for me, I can’t believe it. For me, it’s my dream to get more good horses and win the big races and to win these two races today is amazing,” Lor said.

After the much discussed lead-up race, the Jockey Club Cup when Glorious Forever and Time Warp attacked each other in front, Lor knew he’d have to adopt a different tactic. “I talked to Silvestre yesterday and said ‘if he jumped good try to take the lead and if Time Warp pushed too hard then he could take the sit behind him’. We drew one and Time Warp seven so that made a difference,” Lor said. Three-time British champion jockey de Sousa is no stranger to major race success but this was his first Group 1 in his temporary home and was achieved with clinical precision, aligned to Lor’s instructions. A slow first 800 metres in 50.56s was vital in securing the all-the-way win. “Everything was in my favour,” de Sousa said, “the draw was perfect for riding a horse who could be one or two in the run. Everything went to the plan. “I didn’t want to overdo it in front but to make sure Time Warp didn’t come around, I had to make sure we were going a true gallop. I won the battle for the first 300 metres and I was going so well at the 800 (metres), I thought to myself they would have to be very good to pick him up; it would have to be one of the Europeans because I didn’t think Time Warp would come again.”

It’s likely de Sousa meant the “Japanese” rather than the Europeans as the top two in the market were Sungrazer and Deirdre and the latter steamed home from the back but the early fractions said she faced a herculean task. “She travelled well behind Sungrazer in the run and picked up well and gave her all to the finish,” said jockey Christophe Lemaire.

Time Warp was brave in third given he was unable to take up his favoured front-running role: Trainer Tony Cruz said: “The other horse was really shoving up to get the lead and Zac (Purton) said he couldn’t beat him for speed so sat second. We tried to go to the front but when he couldn’t there was no point pushing him.”

Lor would not be drawn on immediate plans for Glorious Forever but certainly didn’t rule out an international mission. “I’ll need to talk to the owners first and I’ll need to have a good look at the overseas programmes so it’s a maybe,” Lor said. The last word was left to de Sousa who, when asked whether he would consider a full time rather than four month contract in Hong Kong, said: “Yeah, why not…why not.”