Luke Ferraris clinched his double on the Richard Gibson-trained One For All at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (HKJC)
Luke Ferraris scored a double at Happy Valley on Wednsday night and kicked it off with victory on the Klawervlei Stud-bred Vercingetorix six-year-old gelding Super Commander, who was known as Fearless Warrior when winning twice in four starts for Vaughan Marshall and finishing a narrow second in the Grade 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery.
Super Commander is out of the Captain Al filly War Path, who has a place in South African racing infamy.
She won the non-Black Type King’s Pact Stakes on debut, a race which caused a meeting at Clairwood to be abandoned after the crowd protested about third-placed My Sanctuary being made a runner after her gate did not open. (She burst through the gate and ran on for third meaning she could not be made a non-runner according to the racing rules). My Sanctuary has made amends for her infamy because she is the dam of Grade 1 winner Safe Passage.
Ferraris has now won twice on the six-year-old both times when trained by his fourth trainer in Hong Kong Pierre Ng (he started out there trained by Tony Millard before moving to David Ferraris and upon the latter’s retirement he was trained by Chris So before moving to Ng this season).
Today, Super Commander showed superb gatespeed from pole position in a class 4 handicap over 1000m, but despite going like the clappers was able to get a tow into the straight by a horse who came from a wide draw.
He ran past that horse in the straight and at odds of R8.00 on the Tote held on by 0,75 lengths from the joint favourite Savvy Delight.
It was Super Commander’s third victory overall in Hong Kong, although this is his third season and he has dropped from an initial rating of 74 to 55.
In the next race Ferraris was aboard the Richard Gibson-trained four-year-old No Nay Never gelding One For All in a class 4 handicap over 1200m.
He was going for a hattrick and was ridden by Lyle Hewitson in his last start.
He started at odds of R8.20 on the Tote and was drawn 12, while Hewitson was aboard the favourite, the David Hayes-trained Snowalot whom he has partnered to two victories this season and who had draw 8.
Ferraris drove One For All furiously from the off and he managed to get around the field and wrest the rail in front.
He then gave him a breather down the back straight but quickened it up again entering the turn.
This allowed One For All to steal a march and although visibly tiring in the straight he had enough lengths in the bank and held on by 1,25 lengths from Charming Steed, who ran on from third place in the running.
Ferraris goes to 25 wins for the season at a strike rate of 6.56% and stakes earnings of HK$$38,308,475 which is an improvement on his 20 wins last season at a strike rate of 5.03% and earnings of HK$32,311,100.
Ferraris finished in 14th place on the log last season and is in tenth place this season.
