One race at a time for talk of the track Pakistan Star

14/10/2016

By Andrew Hawkins

Emerging galloper Pakistan Star has generated plenty of buzz and attention around the world with the manner of his victories prompting speculation about big race targets to come, but trainer Tony Cruz and jockey Matthew Chadwick have their sole focus on the horse’s next start in Sunday’s (16 October) Woodpecker Handicap, a Class 2 at Sha Tin over 1400m, before looking to the future.

The German-bred galloper bought at the Hong Kong International Sale in March became the talk of the track in July when he won his first start in unbelievable fashion, coming from a detached last to win a griffin race with ease, and the horse did little to dispel the hype when he produced a second barnstorming win at his racetrack reappearance in Class 3 in mid-September.

Now, he steps up to Class 2 for his toughest task yet, carrying 125 pounds against a field of largely established Class 2 gallopers.

“We’ve got to respect the other candidates in the race, but he’s feeling well in himself and he’s a nice prospect so we’re looking forward to running him,” said Chadwick of Hong Kong racing’s most exciting new talent.

For Chadwick, the attention has been slightly overwhelming, with the 26-year-old fielding calls from many parts of the world, all wanting to talk about just one thing – the son of Shamardal with that lethal late burst.

“You never expect something to be so talked about, let alone a horse in the handicap races,” Chadwick said. “That’s just the way life is at the moment with social media, everyone is caught up in it.”

Chadwick says he expects the three-year-old to have progressed from his first-up effort, with a trial since in particular proving a great educational experience. In that trial on 4 October, the son of Shamardal jumped better than he had in his two starts, the horse even joining the lead at halfway before sticking on for third behind highly- rated Blizzard.

“In the trial, he was a closer because he jumped well and the trial wasn’t overly fast,” Chadwick said. “The main thing for us was to educate him a bit more in the barriers and that was a box ticked. Also, with his first-up run, he wasn’t anywhere near peak fitness, he pulled up well from it and he goes into this race slightly fitter. I’m going into this race feeling positive.”

As for Cruz, he hopes to see his horse improve on the things he has been doing wrong as he plots a path forward to bigger and better races.

“We can think about the (BMW Hong Kong) Derby and have done already, but first I want to get Sunday out of the way and see where he sits after that,” Cruz said. “He still does a few little things wrong, and I expect him to be out the back again on Sunday, but hopefully he can win again and then we can look beyond that race.”

Chadwick says that Pakistan Star came along at a crucial time for him after he spent much of the 2015/16 season on the sidelines with a hand injury.

“For me, it was just about getting back into a routine and getting aboard some nice horses and I’ve been lucky enough that he’s come along,” he said. “We didn’t know how good he was at the beginning, but he seems to be getting better and better so hopefully he just keeps going.”

Size first starters add plenty of interest

Earlier in the card, Champion Trainer John Size steps out two unraced horses as he looks to enhance what is already a stable awash with big names.

In the sixth, the Class 4 Shrike Handicap (1600m), Size saddles Unicron Jewellery (125lb) for owner Tung Moon Fai, who also races Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Sun Jewellery.

Unicron Jewellery, named after a character from Transformers, was also bought from the Hong Kong International Sale in March, with the hammer coming down at HK$3.7 million for the son of Savabeel.

“He’s a nice horse, he keeps improving in his trials and his work,” Sunday’s rider Keith Yeung said about the four-year-old. “Every time I trial him, he surprises me. He’s got a big, long stride on him, and he seems to be pretty switched on so I think the mile will be fine for him at his first start. He is bred to stay. I think both me and Mr Size are very confident about his chances.”

In the first race on the card, the Class 4 Cuckoo Handicap (1000m) restricted to three-year-olds, Size unveils New Zealand-bred gelding Premiere (122lb) for the first time.

Rarely, for Size, the son of Dylan Thomas steps out with only one trial under his belt, but jockey Karis Teetan believes he is in a good place for his debut.

“He’s trialled well, he’s the type of horse that has a bit of speed and he seems to learn things pretty quickly so I think he’s ready to go to the races,” Teetan said. “His trial was good enough and he’s pretty forward so I think he’ll be able to do the job. He’s a bit of a tall horse but I think he still has room to grow, he has a lovely action on him and I think he has a bit of a future.”

In a race where six of the 12 runners are debutants, rider Sam Clipperton believes that race experience – and the experience of winning – may prove crucial to the chances of top-weight Sea Jade (129lb).

John Moore-trained Sea Jade broke through for his first win at start three in an open-age Class 4 handicap earlier this month, and despite a five-pound hike in the weights, Clipperton remains confident that he is well placed.

“He’d been working well in his trackwork and he ran accordingly last time out, he won very impressively. He does have to drop down to 1000m, but he is in a restricted Class 4, he’s been going very well in his work again and I’m expecting him to run a very bold race.”

“He’s a very sharp sort of horse, he puts himself up on-pace and so I think dropping in trip won’t be a concern. He’s definitely improved from his first-up run, too. He is a nice horse but I think he’ll be even nicer in six months or so, he’s a bit immature but he’s very professional and heading in the right direction.”

Clipperton, who has a full book of 11 rides on Sunday, also has the ride on Moore’s promising sprinter Bad Boy (131lb) in the penultimate event, the Class 2 Tailorbird Handicap over 1000m.

And while the four-year-old finished a comfortably-held third behind Racing Supernova (129lb) and Adventurer (122lb) first-up in mid-September, Clipperton believes that the son of I Am Invincible has a great chance to reverse form on the pair, particularly now that he meets those two horses seven pounds and 11 pounds better at the weights respectively.

“It was a great run fresh, he was still not quite ready and carried a big weight and was gallant enough to run third behind two nice horses in Racing Supernova and Adventurer. He’s definitely taken a lot of improvement out of his first-up run and he’s had a trial since so I’m expecting a big run from him on the weekend,” he said.

“He’s drawn a nice gate, there looks plenty of speed but I still expect him to be in the top four or five and he’s a course specialist so he looks well placed here, especially getting the weight he does off those two.”

The 11-race card begins at 12:30pm with the Cuckoo Handicap (1000m, Class 4 Restricted) and concludes with the Woodpecker Handicap (1400m, Class 2), featuring Pakistan Star, at 5:45pm.