Gavin Lerena Excited To Be Riding One Stripe
Gavin Lerena after winning for the second time on One Stripe in the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Gavin Lerena departed for the USA on a Cape Town flight on Monday evening this week and is not only looking forward to being reunited with One Stripe, but he is also very excited about riding him in the US$1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Saturday.
One Stripe will face 12 other rivals at Gulfstream Park in the one mile and one furlong race and he has drawn four.
Gavin said about the draw, “I think that’s a good draw. Obviously, you don’t really want the fence and from draw four I can stay one out.”
Gavin will only be having the one ride.
His visa is a bit restrictive and right now in the USA nobody would dare take any chances with the immigration authorities, so he will stick to riding the South African horse in the invitational race.
It will be the first time Gavin has ever ridden in the USA, so riding in a couple of races on the day would have been ideal.
“I will walk the course though,” he said.
He has also studied One Stripe’s last race, in which he had an easy task at the weights in an optional claimer over a mile, but he was just 0,4 seconds outside the course record. Trainer Graham Motion has pointed out to Gavin the track was running very fast that day, so he will take that into account in his strategy.
The way jockeys ride in the USA is a touch different to South Africa and that is likely due to there being no false rail.
The pace tends to be faster and riding out wide is not the absolute no-no that it is in South Africa and this is probably because when going at a decent pace the horse is able to stride out so is less likely to over race.
However, riding out wide is usually seen more in the USA dirt races than on turf.
Gavin said, “Let’s hope the pace is on. I think he will enjoy a good pace.”
Gavin would like to sit on One Stripe before the big day, but added, “He did his final proper work yesterday (Sunday) , so I am going to try and get a sit on him but if it’s not part of the program it’s fine, I will give him a nice pat!”
He said about the racing style of the One World colt.
“He wants to be ridden quietly early and he then has that electric finish, The straights in the USA are a bit short for him, but if I am able to unwind him a bit earlier, he will kick on strong.”
The Gulfstream Park straight is under 400m long, but One Stripe did use it to his advantage last time when using his turn of foot to steal a march on his chief opposition before running away with the race.
This Gr 1 level race will be a different ball game though and Gavin will have to earn his riding fee and hopefully a cut of the stakes money.
If he were to win it, it might well be the biggest cheque he has ever landed in his career with the only competition being the HK$500,000 he earned for winning the Longines International Jockeys Challenge at Happy Valley in Hong Kong in 2015.
Lerena rode One Stripe in his last six starts in South Africa for four victories including in the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup, the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
He had been due to ride One Stripe in the Breeders Cup Mile, but opted out as it would have been a day or two after him completing a very long suspension and he felt it would have been unfair on the horse and the connections as he would have not been race fit or race sharp.
Hollywood’s racing manager Anthony Delpech gave Gavin a call just before Christmas about him riding in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational and he obviously jumped at it. The ride was confirmed just before New Year’s Eve.
He believes One Stripe has a chance.
He said, “That last win would have given him a lot of confidence again. They had no rain up until then, but he did nearly break the course record on the fast ground.”
There has been a lot of rain in Florida recently, so the going will likely not be fast this time.
However, Gavin believes One Stripe would get 2000m, so the one mile and one furlong (1800m) trip of the Pegasus World Cup Turf should not pose a problem.
It will be the first time he has raced beyond a mile.
Races in the USA generally have a “run up” too. The official distance has a point with a timing device on it, but the stalls are placed a little way from this point and the timing of the race only starts when the horses reach the official distance mark at which point the timing device is activated. The “run up” for Gulfstream’s one mile and one furlong turf trip is reportedly about 53 feet, which adds an extra 16m to the distance.
The field is not as strong as the Breeders Cup and One Stripe is actually as short as 6/1.
The favourite is the Chad Brown-trained six-year-old Program Trading, a three-times Gr 1 winner.
Gavin concluded, “I’m excited. I’m looking forward to seeing One Stripe Again, I can’t wait to see him!”
No 3yos In This Year's Met - Snaith Chasing Records
Justin Snaith at last year’s WSB Met draw ceremony (Picture: Race Coast)
The Gr 1 wfa WSB Met’s Barrier Draw ceremony takes place at 18H30 on Tuesday 20 January at the Racing Pavilion Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and can be watched on a livestream.
Click here to watch The WSB Met’s Barrier Draw ceremony
The last two three-year-olds standing among the Met entries, Happy Verse and Gimmie Rules, have been scratched by trainers Justin Snaith and Dean Kannemeyer respectively ahead of the final declarations.
That will leave no three-year-old in the Met for the second time in the last three years.
There were 16 horses still standing their ground on the eve of the final declarations and six of them are from the Snaith yard.
Snaith has declared five of the horses with Richard Fourie riding defending champion Eight On Eighteen, Andrew Fortune riding See It Again, Muzi Yeni riding Sail The Seas, JP van der Merwe riding Native Ruler and Callan Murray riding Okavango.
He has not declared a rider yet for Legal Counsel.
Snaith will be chasing a fourth Met in succession and a fifth overall.
Cape trainer Mike Bass won the Met four times in a row from 2007 to 2010 with Pocket Power winning three-in-a-row and his full-sister River Jetez completing the four-timer.
Snaith, if he does it, will have achieved the feat with three different horses if Eight On Eighteen defends his crown or otherwise with four different horses.
He looks likely to also be chasing his world record of eight winners at a meeting as he has declared many runners already in the 12 events on the day.
The 16 WSB Met entries still standing their ground are shown below:
| O Dr | N Dr | Horse | Weight | MR | No. | Trainer | Jockey | Proviso | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | See It Again | 60 | 127 | 0 | Justin Snaith | Andrew Fortune | ||
| 0 | 0 | The Equator (IRE) | 60 | 117 | 0 | Tony Peter | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | The Real Prince | 60 | 128 | 0 | Dean Kannemeyer | Craig Zackey | ||
| 0 | 0 | Okavango | 59.5 | 120 | 0 | Justin Snaith | Callan Murray | ||
| 0 | 0 | Legend Of Arthur | 59.5 | 110 | 0 | Sean Tarry | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | Sail The Seas | 59.5 | 127 | 0 | Justin Snaith | Muzi Yeni | ||
| 0 | 0 | Cosmic Speed | 59.5 | 124 | 0 | Sean Tarry | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | Olivia’s Way | 57 | 116 | 0 | Roy Magner | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | Sugar Mountain | 60 | 122 | 0 | Candice Bass | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | Garrix | 59.5 | 123 | 0 | Piet / Elbert Steyn | Keagan de Melo | ||
| 0 | 0 | Native Ruler | 59.5 | 119 | 0 | Justin Snaith | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | ||
| 0 | 0 | Legal Counsel | 59.5 | 116 | 0 | Justin Snaith | …………… | ||
| 0 | 0 | Otto Luyken | 60 | 116 | 0 | James Crawford | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | Eight On Eighteen | 59.5 | 129 | 0 | Justin Snaith | Richard Fourie | ||
| 0 | 0 | Holding Thumbs | 60 | 119 | 0 | Glen Kotzen | Still To Be Declared | ||
| 0 | 0 | Gladatorian | 60 | 127 | 0 | Stuart Ferrie | Sean Veale |
Elegantrix Chalks Up Another One For Vercingetorix
Elegantrix bounced back to her best in the Listed Betway Swallow Stakes at the Vaal on Saturday (JC Photos)
The Corne Spies-trained three-year-old filly Elegantrix gave the stallion phenomenon Vercingetorix his eleventh stakes winner of the season when winning the Listed Swallow Stakes for three-year-old fillies over 1200m at the Vaal straight course on Saturday.
It has also been a fine season for Marsh Shirtliff’s Greenacres Trust and Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud, who bred Elegantrix in partnership.
Vercingetorix broke a record for stakes winners last season with 23 black type winners and they won 33 black type races between them.
This season the reigning champion sire’s eleven black type winners have won 13 black type races between them and as the halfway mark of the season has not yet been reached he is on his way to breaking his own record.
Elegantrix was impressive from day one and was also a black type winner in her juvenile season.
After winning on debut she later won the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes against the boys over 1100m, beating the subsequent Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Good For You.
In her next start she finished a 1,10 length second in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship behind Direct Hit with One Fine Winter 0,30 lengths behind her in third place.
She suffered a terrible trip in her next start in the Gr 2 Omoda Golden Horseshoe over 1400m against the boys, but bounced back with a narrow second to Princess Of Gaul in the Gr 2 World Pool With Race Coast Debutante over 1200m.
She began this season with a 0,90 length second to World Of Alice in a Graduation Plate over 1450m, but she seemed a bit below par in her next four starts with a 3,30 length second in a Graduation Plate over 1400m to the useful One Eye On Vegas being her next best finish.
It was thus not surprising that she was only third favourite with bookmakers on Saturday at 33/10 behind the 28/10 pair One Fine Winter and Anchorage, although the Tote favourite was Rifle Queen, who was retuning from a layoff after easily winning her first two starts in July and August last year.
The jockeys generally went to the inside throughout the day in he races down the straight, so Elegantrix’s relatively low draw of five was advantageous.
However, it was Rifle Queen blazing a lone trail on the outside who led for most of the way.
Elegantrix led the inside bunch and Ryan Munger angled her towards the far rail.
She shook off the horse who had the rail, the 100/1 outsider Season’s Greetings, and went clear of the inside bunch.
It was soon clear One Fine Winter, who had to negotiate a high draw of eight, was going nowhere.
Anchorage had the advantageous number one draw, but she proved quirky in her last start when trying go bite the winner close to home, and on Saturday she never really got into it.
Elegantrix used her big stride well in the finish and got the better of Rifle Queen by 1,50 lengths with Season’s Greeting beaten 2,40 lengths into third ahead of Perfect Miracle and Malibu.
Raced by Trevelen Pillay’s TKP Racing Rob Macnab, Braam van Huyssteen, & S Poriazis, Elegantrix was an R850 000 BSA National Two-year-old Sale graduate. She is out of the once winning Danehill Dancer mare, Elegantes, and is now a winner of three races with five places from her thirteen starts and she took her stakes earnings to R748 519.
Vercingetorix had a quick double at the Vaal Meeting with the Mano Pandaram-trained Vanakkam winning the race that followed the Swallow Stakes.
Vercingetorix is on his way to a second national Sires title as he is already just under R4 million clear of the three-times champion sire Gimmthegreenlight.
Japanese Sire Imported By Wilgerbosdrift, Ridgemont And Mauritzfontein
Forever Young’s emphatic victory in last November’s Breeders Cup Classic was yet another timely reminder of the strength of Japanese racing and breeding.
Mauritzfontein, Ridgemont Highlands and Wilgerbosdrift are excited to announce their recent acquisition of the Japanese Grade One winner – DANON SCORPION.
(A purchase only made possible due to their long standing relationship with the sellers)
He will take up stud duties next season at Wilgerbosdrift.
He is very good-looking and stands just over 16 hands.
Racing Career
A brilliant racehorse, he showed speed and precocity.
At 2 years old:
- Won easily on debut
- Won a stakes race at his second start, defeating 2yo Gr.1 winner Killer Ability
- At his only subsequent start at 2, finished an excellent third in the Gr.1 Asahi Futurity, only beaten by two official Champions:
- Champion 2YO Do Deuce
- Champion Sprinter Serifos
(To put values into perspective – Do Deuce has taken up stud duty at Shadai Stallion Station where his fee is in excess of R1 million)
At 3 years old:
- Third in the Gr.2 Fuji Stakes, again only defeated by two official Champions – Serifos and Champion Miler Soul Rush (Dubai Turf)
- Won the Gr.3 Arlington Cup
- Overcame barrier 18 to win one of Japan’s most prestigious 3yo races – the Gr.1 NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo, defeating Serifos once more
Watch the race:
08.05.2022 NHK Mile Cup (JPN) – Danon Scorpion
(Watch by clicking on link)
Pedigree
DANON SCORPION offers breeders a great link to Kingmambo – via Champions Lord Kanaloa and Kingkamehameha (Multiple Champion Sire in Japan).
- Lord Kanaloa was a Champion racehorse and Champion Freshman sire
- He upgrades his mares on AEI
- Runner-up on the Japanese sires list for the past six consecutive years
- Has a number of sons at stud in Japan and Australia, including Saturnalia:
- Leading 2nd crop sire in Japan in 2025
- Sire of Cavallerizzo, Champion 2YO of Japan in 2025
Dam Line
DANON SCORPION’s dam, Lexie Lou, was a brilliant race filly on both turf and dirt. She defeated the best colts in the Queens Plate and has been inducted into the Canadian Hall Of Fame.
Her titles include:
- Horse Of The Year
- Champion 3YO Filly
- Champion Turf Female – twice
Watch Lexie Lou:
2019 Thoroughbred Female Horse Inductee – Lexie Lou
(Watch by clicking on link)
Syndication Details
DANON SCORPION has been syndicated into a 50-share syndicate.
- Each shareholder is entitled to send two mares per season for the first four seasons
- Thereafter, one mare per season
He is already fully syndicated, but as with their previous investments, the partnership are always happy to make shares available to fellow Breeders on a “first come, first served” basis.
- Shares priced at R190k each
(Less than 25% of a single nomination to Do Deuce!) - Estimated price – subject to exchange rate and shipping
- Price includes full first year insurance and congenital infertility cover
Rivalland's Magma Magic an easy winner of the KRA Cup
Magma Magic wins in fine style at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday (Picture: Chase Liebenberg)
Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)
After winning the first at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday, anyone who was paying attention will have included Magma Magic in their exotic calculations with Tony Rivalland intimating that the gelding was in the ‘right’ race, the KRA Cup.
A horse with a mind of his own, a bit of a ‘thinker’ according to Tristan Godden, he broke quickly and immediately into the lead. Given comfortable early fractions, there was still lots to come in the straight and helped along by a brisk tailwind, he was not for the catching chased home by Jazz Festival and World Of Our Own.
Wild At War was sent to Alyson Wright by Candice and Tammy Dawson from the Highveld specifically to take advantage of the poly track but when the right race is programmed for poly or turf one has to take advantage.
Narrowly beaten first up on the poly, Wright put the finishing touches to Wild At War who got home in a tight finish to the Conditions Plate over 1400m.
One could throw the proverbial blanket over the first four across the line, but Muzi Yeni rode a driving finish to snatch victory on Wild At War and deny Adam Azzie his first win in KZN and as a trainer in his own right with Gimmefabulous beaten a head and Rollo The Viking and pacemaker Cymric disputing the shallow end of the purse but beaten less than a length.
Wright had another race on the poly planned before deciding that Wild At War should take his chances here so the gelding should be fully primed for his next assignment.
Azzie did not have to wait long to finally crack his first winner as Keagan de Melo made all the running on Thought Control, assisted by a strong tail wind up the straight, to hold off challenges from Spirit Of Shimla and Psyche, both putting in their best work late.
In the card opener, Deepest Water put up her hand as a filly to follow with a convincing victory for Tony Rivalland and one of the doyens of South African racing, Mary Liley. It was something of an upset result for punters with Deepest Water one of the rank outsiders but she made short work of the more fancied runners Red Cardinal and Bourbon’s Beast with favourite Flag Champ unlucky not to finish a lot closer after S’Manga Khumalo was forced to snatch his mount up with the gap on the inside rail snapping shut.
De Melo was quickly back in the winner’s enclosure riding a confident race aboard Perfume Power for Duncan Howells in the fourth. Quickly out from a wide draw, De Melo tracked the lightly weighted Arverni Princess and always had Louis Goosen’s mare in his sights. The two fought out the finish but De Melo always had things in control, never resorting to the stick as Perfume Princess gradually got the better of her rival to win comfortably.
Having the fiftieth start of his career, the seven-year-old Smorgasbord put it all together for this fifth win of his career to land the C Stakes over 1000m for Goosen. Blazing Beauty set a blistering gallop with Chara Sands and City Of Love trying to keep up. Deryl Daniels, who doesn’t get many chances these days, commented post-race that he was sitting fourth on Smorgasbord but ten lengths off the pace. Given the gallop, it was always going to come down to who could keep going but all were treading water as Smorgasbord kept finding and running them all out of it with Chara Sands staying on best of all for second and Goosen’s second string Blazing Fury making late progress for third.
Front running tactics were the order of the day and with the tailwind getting stronger as the afternoon wore on, it was no surprise that Craig Zackey sent Mountainsofthemoon for the lead in the seventh, one that she never relinquished. It got a little sweaty over the final furlong with Mississippi Space closing in but Mountainsofthemoon was never in any real danger of being caught.
There was some drama at the start with the course vets checking out the fancied Flying Rain Storm and declaring her lame behind and not fit to run.
It was three up for De Melo in the last and one of the best rides of the day as Happy Fortune landed the gamble for Darryl Moore. De Melo, had earlier stated that Happy Fortune was his best ride of the afternoon. He may have had a few doubters as he dropped Happy Fortune out from the jump and only one behind him heading for the home turn. However, he knew what he had under him, slowly reeling in the opposition and timing his run to perfection in a polished ride.
Ka Ying Rising Is Timeform Horse Of The Year
Ka Ying Rising has won his last 16 races in succession (Picture: HKJC)
HKJC
Six-time Group 1-winning sprinter Ka Ying Rising has been crowned Timeform’s Horse of the Year (2025). Trained by David Hayes, last season’s Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2024/25) also earned the accolade as Timeform’s Champion Sprinter (2025).
A record-breaking phenom, Ka Ying Rising has earned HK$122.57 million and has won 17 of 19 career starts, including 16 in succession – equal to Golden Sixty’s record and one shy of Silent Witness’ all-time record in the city (17).
According to Timeform, New Zealand-bred Ka Ying Rising had five individual performances where he rated 130 upwards last year when he collected five Group 1 wins and two in Group 2 – all part of his 16-race unbeaten streak, which he puts on the line in next week’s (Sunday, 25 January) HK$13 million G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin.
“He’s the best horse I’ve trained and he’ll be the best horse I’ve seen if he keeps going the way he is,” Hayes said. “His best attributes are his high-cruising speed and his ability to lengthen at the business end of his races.”
Ahead of his second consecutive HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) success last December, the five-year-old’s HK$3.72 million Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap (1200m) win at Sha Tin under Zac Purton earned him the unmatched Timeform rating of 135 to claim top spot for the year.
Ka Ying Rising wins first-up this season at Sha Tin.
Conceding nine pounds to second-placed Group 1 winner Lucky Sweynesse, Ka Ying Rising lumped 135lb to first-up victory on 7 September over 11 rivals – many of whom carried 115lb – before then travelling overseas, where he claimed the world’s richest race on turf at Royal Randwick in Sydney, Australia – the AU$20 million (approx. HK$101 million) G1 The Everest (1200m) – as the first foreign horse to achieve the feat.
Earlier in his career as a four-year-old in 2024, Ka Ying Rising won the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), remarkably lowering Sacred Kingdom’s 17-year 1200m turf track record at Sha Tin from 1m 07.50s to 1m 07.43s.
Over a month later in his first 2025 triumph, Ka Ying Rising then powered home in an extraordinary 1m 07.20s to land the Centenary Sprint Cup – leg one of the Hong Kong Speed Series – in what was the first of eight wins throughout the year.
Ka Ying Rising then claimed the Hong Kong Speed Series and the HK$5 million bonus with success in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) to round out his 2024/25 season in Hong Kong.
Mr Vitality (1995/96), Grand Delight (2002/03), Silent Witness (2003/04 & 2004/05) and Lucky Sweynesse (2022/23) have previously claimed the Hong Kong Speed Series.
David Hayes celebrates the success of Ka Ying Rising.
David Hayes celebrates the success of Ka Ying Rising.
The remaining awards for 2025 saw Calandagan named Timeform’s Champion Middle-Distance performer on 133; Field Of Gold was Timeform’s Champion Miler on 127; Minnie Hauk was acclaimed Timeform’s Champion Filly/Mare on 127, while Trawlerman was Timeform’s Champion Stayer, also rated 127.
Founded in 1948 by Phil Bull, Timeform is a leading sports data and content provider based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
Smart Trio Put Up Their Hands For Classic Series
Patch Of Cosmo returns from a long layoff for a tendon injury to win in eyecatching style (Picture: HKJC)
HKJC
Zac Purton lauded Manfred Man’s horsemanship after Patch Of Cosmo successfully returned from injury to stake a claim for the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) as Akashvani and Emblazon also showcased Four-Year-Old Classic Series credentials at Sha Tin on Sunday (18 January).
Sidelined since March, 2025 after suffering a tendon injury, Patch Of Cosmo (135lb) eclipsed a classy group of rivals to win by a neck from Aerodynamics (130lb) and Pope Cody (134lb) in 1m 34.53s after jumping from barrier nine.
Rated 77 pre-race, the Super Seth gelding deserves his place in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, according to Purton, who will ride Sagacious life in the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which also includes the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on 1 March and the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March.
“First of all, it was a really good training performance. This horse has been off from 10 months with a tendon (injury) and he’s come back at the top of Class 3, carrying a lot of weight, first-up at a mile and he’s won,” Purton said. “That’s not easy to do.
“So, they want to take their place in the Four-Year-Old (Classic) Series now and he’s not going to be out of place. He’s a relatively lightly-raced horse, he’s got plenty more there.”
David Hayes was similarly positive about Akashvani (128lb) after an emphatic all-the-way victory in the second section of the Class 3 Fencing Handicap (1400m) under Brenton Avdulla.
Unlucky at his previous start, the 72-rater was well supported before forging clear in the straight after angling away from the fence and winning by three lengths in 1m 21.30s from Super Express (124lb).
“I thought going towards the Classic Mile, it was a very, very good run. I think he’ll get eight or nine points and that will probably get him in the big race,” Hayes said.
“That was his best win in Hong Kong and that was over 1400m and I would say he has a mile written all over him. If you look at his pedigree and racing style, I think if he draws well – he’ll run a good race.
“He’s very fit and he’s got a nice gap now with two weeks to the race. We’re very excited.”
Emblazon (120lb), made it three wins from six starts for Cody Mo and Chau when the 64-rater overhauled Flash Current (119lb) in the first section of the Class 3 Fencing Handicap (1400m).
Fresh from reaching the 1,000-win milestone in Hong Kong on Wednesday (14 January), Francis Lui posted a running treble with Lucky Twin Stars (133lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Swimming Handicap (1400m) for Jerry Chau, Hot Delight (129lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Cycling Handicap (1200m) under Vincent Ho and Amazing Partners (127lb) in the first section of the Class 4 Swimming Handicap (1400m) for Ho.
Both Lui and Ho were impressed with the effort of Too Darn Hot three-year-old Hot Delight.
“He drew (barrier) 14, so that made things a bit harder but luckily it was the ‘A course’ and even though he was three-wide, we knew he was a nice horse,” Ho said. “He did everything right, so looking forward to the next start and hopefully he can learn more, stay calm and improve.”
Lui said: “He’s a good horse. I like him a lot. The owner (Peter Law), always buys a good horse and he can spend to buy a good one. I wasn’t involved in buying him – I have known Mr Law for a long time and he met me and said ‘do you want to train my horse?’ Of course, I said yes.
“When he came to me, he was very green, but a very strong horse and his barrier trials were good.”
Jamie Richards slotted a double when City Gold Banner (119lb) swept to victory under Zac Purton in the Class 3 15th National Games Hong Kong Medallists Cup Handicap (1000m), clocking 56.83s in defeating fellow Hong Kong debutant The Unique Star (125lb).
Formerly trained by Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou in Australia, the Starspangledbanner gelding was ridden patiently by Purton before extending impressively over the final 400m to earn a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million.
Richards also struck when three-year-old Cool Boy (135lb) prevailed in the first section of the Class 4 Cycling Handicap (1200m) for James Orman.
“He’s been racing well, I thought it was a good effort considering he had to carry 135lb,” Richards said. “He was aided by a beautiful ride from James, who’s riding really well.”
Dylan Browne McMonagle slotted his first winner in Hong Kong when he piloted John Size-trained Flow Water Flow (134lb) to victory in the Class 4 Triathlon Handicap (1600m).
“Very happy and it’s a great place to be competing. I’ve been very lucky, I’ve been getting on some nice horses in the last few weeks. I’ve been getting plenty of support and massive thanks to John Size. He’s been extra special, he’s been throwing a lot at me and thankfully I can reward him with a winner,” the Irishman said.
“He (Flow Water Flow) had a really good record coming into this race. He’d been hitting the crossbar (with three seconds) in his first three starts. Stepping up to 1600m was going to be a big help to him today and he was good and strong the last 100 metres – thankfully, he got his head in front.”
Dennis Yip and Karis Teetan combined with Super Hong Kong (124lb) to land the Class 5 Rugby Seven Handicap (2000m). Now eight, Super Hong Kong improved his record to six wins from 58 starts and prizemoney of HK$5.64 million.
Maxime Guyon and Me Tsui teamed with Pegas (123lb) in the Class 3 Sailing Handicap (1200m). A son of Encryption, the gelding’s brave triumph delivered a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million.
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin with an all-dirt meeting on Wednesday night (21 January).
Today's Question
Which jockey has the most wins in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational or its equivalent?
The picture is of the subject
FIELDS, Wednesday, 21 January
Today’s Question Answer
Jerry Bailey has won the race seven times (its inaugural year was in 1986 at which stage it was called the Gulfstream Park Breeders Cup Handicap).
Click here to read about the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational’s history
