Luke Ferraris continues dream run with Lucky With You success
Luke Ferraris continued a blistering form surge with success aboard veteran sprinter Lucky With You (Artie Schiller) in the Class 1 TVB Cup Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (9 February), leaving the young South African jockey with three feature victories in ten days.
Buoyant after wins in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (Listed, 1600m) on My Wish (Flying Artie) at Sha Tin on January 31 and the Class 2 Tsun Yip Handicap (1650m) on Mr Ascendency (The Gurkha) at Happy Valley last Wednesday, Ferraris continued a stunning season with Lucky With You’s triumph.
Ferraris, 23, produced a copybook ride on Frankie Lor’s seven-year-old, who had been competing at Group 1 level against champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) and clearly appreciated the drop in grade.
Sitting fourth on the rails throughout, Ferraris drove dual Group 1 runner-up Lucky With You between Harmony N Blessed (Magnus) and Magic Control (Sioux Nation) inside the final 100 metres before powering clear of Gorgeous Win (Press Statement) and Magic Control (Sioux Nation) in 1.08.47.
Lor said: “Class 1 is different for him because usually he’s in Group 1 or Group 2. He’s seven years old now and it was great to get another win for the owners. Perfect ride by Luke.”
Having his first ride on the gelding, Ferraris was elated after extending a remarkable run of form.
“He [Lucky With You] is a lovely, game horse. He’s a real soldier. He does have a bit of a short sprint so the way the race panned out was ideal. We got behind a nice horse, Magic Control, and he pulled us through to the 250 metres and when he had done his job, Harmony N Blessed started to fall away,” Ferraris said.
“It worked out really nicely and he hit the gap really strongly and powered away to the line, so thanks to Frankie and his team. Hopefully we can keep rolling. The support has been fantastic and I’ll be looking to keep that going and if it does, hopefully I can keep capitalising on the decent rides.”
Californiatotality (Zoustar) advanced BMW Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) hopes with victory in the Class 3 TVB Midlife, Sing & Shine 3 Handicap (1800m) for Tony Cruz. Ridden by Brenton Avdulla, the Zoustar (Northern Meteor) gelding notched his fifth win from 16 starts.
Cruz made it a double when Righteous Arion (Rich Enuff) clinched the Class 3 TVB Heroes In White Handicap (1200m) under Alexis Badel.
Jamie Richards posted his third winner in as many meetings when La Forza (Toronado) capped an eventful 24 hours with victory under Zac Purton in the Class 4 TVB Yan Chai Charity Show Handicap (1000m).
A three-year-old by Toronado (High Chaparral), La Forza posted his second win from four starts after galloping riderless at Sha Tin on Saturday morning [8 February] after losing his rider.
“It was just unfortunate that he shied basically at the TV screen there. But he didn’t go too fast when he did a little quiet lap without the rider on and thankfully everything’s gone nice and smoothly for him today,” Richards said of La Forza’s trackwork incident.
“He’s a horse who last season was very immature and we backed off him and we thought we had him ready to go earlier in the season and we just had to back off him again because he was just a little bit shin sore. He was very weak last season but he’s put on a lot of weight and strengthened up.”
Purton took his tally to 84 wins for the season when David Eustace’s Light Years Charm (Rubick) swept to victory in the Class 3 TVB Tung Wah Charity Show Handicap (1400m) after Lyle Hewitson slotted a double, scoring aboard Benno Yung-trained Special Hedge (Unusual Suspect) in the Class 5 TVB Lok Sin Tong Charity Corner Handicap (1400m) and Francis Lui’s Gallant Epoch (Iffraaj( in the Class 4 TVB Yan Oi Tong Charity Show Handicap (1400m).
“Obviously, it’s fantastic. It’s just been a slow (start) this season but I feel like over the past two weeks, I’ve been feeling really good in the saddle and I think that is showing – and that’s a positive,” Hewitson said.
“On top of that, I’ve been given one or two opportunities each meeting which I’ve been able to convert.”
Pierre Ng reclaimed the lead in the 2024/25 trainers’ championship with Gale Saga’s (So You Think) victory for Matthew Poon in the Class 4 TVB Tung Wah Celebrity Show Handicap (1400m) before Dennis Yip’s Super Love (U S Navy Flag) landed the Class 4 TVB Pok Oi Charity Show Handicap (1200m) for Teetan.
Jimmy Ting posted his sixth win of the campaign when Flash Current (Derryn) snared the Class 4 TVB Po Leung Kuk Gala Spectacular Handicap (1200m) for Harry Bentley. Winning Gold (Brazen Beau) claimed the Class 3 The Fading Gold Handicap (1400m) for Karis Teetan and Chris So.
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Wednesday night.