Tony Cruz prepares for Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup with Happy Valley triumph
Preparing to bid for an extraordinary 11th Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) triumph at Sha Tin on Sunday, Tony Cruz laid down a positive marker for this weekend’s staying test with California Moxie’s (Mehmas) success at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
A perennial force in the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, Cruz will saddle Five G Patch (Camelot) – who was runner-up in the feature last season to Rebel’s Romance (Dubawi) – La City Blanche (Cityscape) and Winning Dragon (Ivan Denisovich).
With Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup triumphs as a jockey aboard Co-Tack (Top Role) in 1983 and 1984 and Makarpura Star (Native Kingdom) (1995), Cruz has dominated the race as a trainer with the wins of California Memory (Highest Honor) (2013), Blazing Speed (Dylan Thomas) (2014 and 2016), Helene Super Star (War Front) (2015), Pakistan Star (Shamardal) (2018) and Exultant (Teofilo) (2019-20).
A dual Hong Kong champion trainer, Cruz saddled his 37th winner this season when California Moxie claimed his second course and distance victory in two starts by clinching the first section of the Class 4 Glenealy Handicap (1650m). Ridden confidently by Angus Chung the Mehmas (Acclamation) gelding swept clear late in 1m 39.05s.
David Hayes continued his pursuit of John Size in the 2024/25 Hong Kong trainers’ championship with veteran Harmony N Blessed’s (Magnus) upset victory in the second section of the Class 3 Wyndham Handicap (1200m) for Luke Ferraris.
With the race seemingly in King Miles’ (Exceed And Excel) keeping under Zac Purton, Harmony N Blessed rallied to slot his ninth win from 57 starts to give Hayes 51 wins for the campaign – five behind Size.
“He’s a wonderful horse. It looked like Zac’s horse [King Miles] had him cold but he really lifted and fought back strongly. It was a very good ride by Luke,” Hayes said.
“He’s quite an old horse. He’s won nearly $15 million Hong Kong dollars and he was one of the original horses that came when I arrived [in 2020/21] and it’s lovely to still have him racing well.
“I would say he would probably retire towards the end of the season but we have to try again at the Valley, don’t we?”
The Cody Mo-trained Embraces (Reliable Man) continued impressive progress with a surging win in the Class 3 On Lan Handicap (1650m) under Jerry Chau.
Winner of three of 12 starts, the Reliable Man (Dalakhani) gelding stormed past Star Contact (Star Turn) to give Mo his 36th win of the season after Lean Master (Havana Grey) landed the Class 4 Sports Club Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup Handicap (1000m) under Harry Bentley, ending a frustrating run of five minor placings this season for trainer Dennis Yip.
“This horse wants this trip [1000m], this is his bag and he’s run some really good races over 1200 metres but he just looks to be not quite seeing the distance out,” Bentley said. “Back to 1000 metres here really suits him.
“He’s always been a consistent type. I’ve always got along really well with the horse and he’s given me some good days.”
Yip sealed a double when Thriving Brothers (U S Navy Flag) wore down Candlelight Dinner (Russian Revolution) to win the first section of the Class 4 Cochrane Handicap (1200m) for Matthew Chadwick. A two-year-old winner at Dundalk in Ireland where he raced as McVay, the U S Navy Flag (War Front) gelding had twice finished third in nine previous Hong Kong starts.
To Infinity (Darci Brahma) slotted his sixth course and distance victory for Jamie Richards under a clever ride by Lyle Hewitson in the second section of the Class 4 Glenealy Handicap (1650m). By Darci Brahma (Danehill), To Infinity was originally trained by Paul O’Sullivan and transferred to Richards following O’Sullivan’s retirement.
Since joining Richards’ stable, the six-year-old has won at least one race across the past three seasons.
“[Lyle] rode him really well. He was aided by a good draw. The horse, in our opinion, was starting to get back into a little bit of form. He’d been going hopelessly when he got up in the ratings but we took off a bit of headgear with him and changed a few things around,” Richards said.
“I’m really thrilled to see him win – the owners have been really patient and he’s been a good old horse. He always fronts up and wins a race or two each season. He’s a real Happy Valley 1650-metre horse off about this rating. He’s a good stalwart of the stable, he’s been with us since I arrived, so I’m thrilled to see him get another win.”
New Power (Swiss Ace) presented Michael Chang with his 14th win of the season with a short-head margin in the second section of the Class 4 Cochrane Handicap (1200m) under Keith Yeung. By Swiss Ace (Secret Savings), New Power has scored three times over 1200 metres at Happy Valley.
“It’s great,” Chang said. “It was good to see him win.”
Douglas Whyte-trained Sterling Wongchoy (Demerit) broke through at his 15th start with success in the Class 5 D’Aguilar Handicap (1650m) for Hugh Bowman.
“He got a ten out of ten ride and followed the right horse [Verbier] and it would have been disappointing if he hadn’t won,” Whyte said. “I have to give a lot of credit to the owner Lester Kwok because he’s been very patient with this horse.”
Purton maintained a gaping lead in the 2024/25 Hong Kong jockeys’ championship with victory aboard Manfred Man’s Dragon Four Seas (Shooting To Win) in the first section of the Class 3 Wyndham Handicap (1200m) to 111 winners for the season – 49 clear of Bowman (62).
Hong Kong racing continues with the running of the Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.