Count Invicto, who races under the name Aerodynamics in Hong Kong, is picture winning in South Africa (JC Photos)
Heinrich Rix of Stone Hill Stud remembers the Royal Mo gelding Count Invicto, who won in Hong Kong on Monday under the name Aerodynamics, as being a leader in the paddock as a youngster.
The former Lucky Houdalakis-trained gelding won three out of his four starts in South Africa and Heinrich believes he only lost the other one due to a below par ride.
In both of his recent trips to Hong Kong Heinrich has gone to the Mark Newnham yard to visit the Royal Mo gelding he bred and he revealed that his new trainer had always been pleased with the horse.
It did take him six runs to get off the mark in Hong Kong, although Heinrich pointed out the tight tracks had not suited him when coming from off the pace and he recalled on one occasion him being full of running in the straight, but the gaps would not open.
His win on Monday was over 2000m in a Class 3 event.
Zac Purton took him to the front from a wide draw and at last he was able to use his big stride freely.
Heinrich was very pleased with the way he kept the favourite Liveandletlive at bay in the straight before crossing the line a comfortable 0,75 length winner.
He has been raised to a Hong Kong rating of 80 for the win, but with the new front-running tactics having suited him down to the ground he should go on to win more races.
Heinrich remembers Count Invicto as a good looking sort as a yearling.
He did not reach the price they wanted for him at the BSA August Two-year-old Sale where Lucky Houdalakis landed him for R120,000.
Heinrich thus took a share in him together with Lucky as well as with M Havenga and MJ van Staden.
Heinrich said he had wanted to keep him when the offer had come from overseas as he thought the gelding was going places.
So the first offer was actually refused.
However, a second offer followed and the major shareholder in the horse thought that offer as too good to refuse.
Lucky said today, “You can’t say no to that kind of money.”
That is especially in a sport where there is chance of a horse picking up an issue or an injury.
Lucky follows Hong Kong racing avidly, particularly to support the ex-pat South Africans out there, and he has watched all of Aerodynamics races.
His opinion coincided with Heinrich’s in that from his viewpoint it seemed he had battled to get going when coming from off the pace and also had suffered some bad luck.
Taking him to the front looks to be the way to go.
Lucky revealed something not known to many South Africans and that is that Sha Tin has a very testing hill approaching the straight, which he said is so steep it makes the tough Turffontein hill look minor.
That augurs well for Aerodynamics as he clearly had plenty in the tank when challenged in the straight and he stayed the 2000m trip easily. The hill clearly did not tire him out.
Lucky, of course, has walked the track having famously won the Gr 1 Hong Kong Sprint with the legendary J J The Jet Plane back in 2010 with Piere Strydom up.
Heinrich does not believe the victory in Hong Kong will do much for Royal Mo, who remains unfashionable.
He pointed out that Lucky had done the right thing with Count Invicto (Aerodyamics) by taking his time with him and he had only made his debut in the September of his three-year-old year.
He also pointed out there were hopes the James Crawford-trained three-time-winning Royal Mo gelding Count Huhtikuu would fulfil his potential. He is coming back from injury soon.
He added the ever-improving Crawford-trained Royal Mo filly Duchess Of Paloma, who has won four of her last five starts on the Highveld, would be aimed at a Listed race soon.
