Lucky Patch stuns in Group 2 Premier Bowl for Lui and Purton
By Leo Schlink
Overshadowed pre-race by Courier Wonder (Sacred Falls) and Naboo Attack (Warhead), Lucky Patch (El Roca) has earned a tilt at the HK$24 million (approx. AU$4.15 million) Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) in December after eclipsing a classy field of rivals in the Premier Bowl Handicap (Gr 2, 1200m) at Sha Tin yesterday afternoon.
Stationed in the outside gate of barrier 12, Francis Lui’s lightly-raced gelding covered ground under Zac Purton before unleashing a withering surge before fending off Super Wealthy (Epaulette) and Stronger (Not A Single Doubt) to score by a neck.
Clocking 1m 07.95s in blustery conditions, Lucky Patch continued his remarkable consistency – he now has four wins and six minor placings from 14 Hong Kong starts after winning his only two assignments in Australia as Paleontologist – to earn a tilt at Hong Kong’s most prestigious sprint in December.
Lui said Lucky Patch’s performance trajectory had always been positive – and was unsurprised by Group 2 success.
“I’m not surprised because last season all the time he had bad draws but he finished close and the race he won he had a good draw he won by two and a quarter lengths. He’s been improving,” he said.
“I can’t say he still has more improvement but he can enter the sprint race (Hong Kong Sprint).
Lucky Patch’s success sealed a treble for Purton, who knew his task was complicated by the outside alley.
“It always looked hard from the barrier, I couldn’t see myself getting in anywhere but we rode to try and get in somewhere. If the cards fell our way, we would be lucky,” he said.
“To be honest, we were caught wide with no cover for the most part of it. It took me a long time to be able to get in and get a little bit of cover and then he travelled into it strongly and let down nicely.
“When he got to the front, he idled a little bit – so you can take nothing away from that performance.”
While Courier Wonder (fifth) and Naboo Attack (ninth) struggled for clear running late, Purton plotted an uninterrupted passage down the outside.
“I think he’s (Courier Wonder) ok. He was in pretty good shape going into the race so he should come out of it ok. He was held up in the straight, so I think he’s got an excuse and I don’t think there’s any damage,” said trainer John Size of Courier Wonder’s run in defeat.
But Purton is yet to commit to partnering Lucky Patch in December.
“We’ll see. We’ll let the dust settle. If I ride him in the sprint, hopefully he’s good enough to win it,” said the four-time champion jockey, who also prevailed in the second section of the Class 4 H. Moser & CIE. Excellent Handicap (1200m) aboard Gracylove (Shooting To Win) for David Hall.
Lucky Patch’s victory presented Lui with a double after the earlier success of Cheerful Days (Smart Missile) in the Class 4 IWC Schaffhausen Excellent Handicap (1400m), also in tandem with Purton.
“The horse has improved. He’s totally different from last season – he’s much more relaxed now.
“This race suited him because of the good pace. The draw was just okay but he got a good ride and it worked out,” Lui said.
Vincent Ho celebrated an important benchmark atop Seasons Bliss (Charm Spirit) in the first section of the Class 4 Grand Seiko Excellent Handicap (1200m), notching with his 400th Hong Kong winner.
“It’s been a while, right? This season has been very slow. I’ve just got to keep this up now, get on some good rides and do better than last season,” Ho said, who combined with trainer Jimmy Ting.
Ting explained the gelding’s form last season “was very disappointing so I let him rest and early this season his form was not coming along so well, so he needed more time.
“After I tried blinkers, his form became better so that’s why I put the blinkers on this time. I think he will still improve, he’s not in top form and he will improve much more after this race.
“I didn’t know it was his (Ho’s) 400th, but I hope he can win more because he is a very good jockey.”
Douglas Whyte’s persistence with God Of Dragon (Red Dazzler) paid off when the seven-year-old produced his best to land the Class 4 Girard-Perregaux Excellent Handicap (2000m) under Jerry Chau.
“He’s been a handful. He’s not the easiest horse to work with in the mornings. He hardly gallops on the big track because he’s very difficult but where there’s a will, there’s a way.
“He’s been willing to accept to some of the other things we’ve been doing with him and I’m delighted for the owners,” Whyte said.
Tony Cruz will consider aiming California Ten (Rock Of Gibraltar) at the Sa Sa Ladies Purse Handicap (Gr 3, 1800m) on November 7 after the Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill) gelding’s success in the Class 3 Franck Muller Excellent Handicap (1800m) under Karis Teetan.
Panfield trades on class to snare Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy for Millard and Teetan
Acclaimed as last season’s Champion Stayer of Hong Kong, Panfield (Lookin At Lucky) underlined growing versatility and undoubted class with Oriental Watch 60th Anniversary Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (Gr 2, 1600m) success for Tony Millard and Karis Teetan at Sha Tin yesterday.
Benefitting from a thorough preparation since spelling with three trials, Panfield posted his first victory over 1600 metres since prevailing over the trip as a two-year-old in his native Chile in June 2019, downing Preciousship (Iffraaj) by a neck. Tourbillon Diamond (Olympic Glory) was a further neck away in third place.
Teetan, who was atop the Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike) entire when victorious in the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) last season, said the import had improved significantly since returning.
“It was always going to be a question mark of how he would handle 1600 metres, but he’s been trialling really well and his work has been absolutely fantastic – I’ve been saying this season he’s been a different horse,” the Mauritian said.
“He’s mentally and physically a different horse. Last season, I won on him and I felt like he was a big, galloping horse who did not know much – but had ability. This season, I can feel that mentally he’s there and physically he’s starting to get better and use himself better.
“This horse is really improving all the time and we went into today’s race with confidence. We wanted to win this race and halfway through we got crowded and he started to travel a bit.
“When I got three-deep, he dropped the bit and relaxed and then into the straight, I wanted to get going a bit because I knew he would take the whole straight to extend.”
Millard will next target the Jockey Club Cup (Gr 2, 2000m) on November 21, content in the knowledge Panfield will be even better suited over longer trips.
“He’s a little bit more forward than what I would have thought because we were getting him ready for the Melbourne Cup,” the South African said.
“Today, he took out most of the top milers in Hong Kong, barring the best horse – the Horse of the Year (Golden Sixty).
“It was a great ride. I’ve had most of the top jockeys jumping on and off him in a way that was a little bit unfortunate early on because I think maybe we could have got a better tune out of him if we’d just stuck to one jockey. Karis has got a good association with him now and long may it last.”
Jimmy Ting expects My Sugar (Deep Field) to continue impressive progress after the Deep Field (Northern Meteor) gelding posted an effortless win in the Class 3 Corum Excellent Handicap (1400m) to give Zac Purton four victories for the day.
“He’s a nice horse. I think he can handle Class 2, but 1400 (metres) might be difficult for him, but Class 2 1600 (metres), he is okay,” Ting said.
Purton, who now leads the jockeys’ championship by eight – 21 to 13 – over Joao Moreira said: “It’s been a good day. I came here with some pretty had barriers and I thought it was going to be tough, but the way the track has played, I’ve been a bit lucky.
“I’ve been able to get into the right spots on them and they’ve delivered.”
Frankie Lor believes Celestial Power (Star Witness) can continue to flourish with improved racing manners after success for Matthew Poon in the Class 2 Parmigiani Fleurier Excellent Handicap (1800m).
“Unfortunately, last season, I think it was the 1800 (metres) Classic Cup, he jumped really slow and then he started to develop some bad habits in the gates. We needed to let him learn and now it’s a little bit better,” Lor said.
Manfred Man’s Trillion Win (Proisir) extended an outstanding start to the season by clinching the Class 2 Piaget Excellent Handicap (1200m) under Alexis Badel, denying Purton a five-timer on Lucky More (More Than Ready) by a short head – with the same margin to previously unbeaten Fantastic Treasure (Written Tycoon).
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday October 20.