Super Man makes it a hat-trick for So at Sha Tin

02/11/2016

by David Morgan

Chris So’s strong early season form continued at Sha Tin tonight, Wednesday, 2 November, with a hat-trick of wins on the eight-race all-weather card that took the trainer to within one of the early premiership pace-setter, his old boss, Caspar Fownes.

Super Man’s (124lb) steely win in race seven, section one of the Class 3 Hebe Hill Handicap (1200m), wrapped up the treble that also featured Flying Machine and Team Fortune. Brett Prebble was already hard at work on the six-year-old as eventual third Sky Hero (124lb) led the field out of the final turn, and it took the entire length of the home straight for the Australian’s punching drive to get Super Man’s nose in front. 

“I was afraid!” So said after watching the Super Man nick the verdict by a short-head from the late-surging Star Of Yan Oi (109lb). “Everyone was saying to me I wasn’t shouting when I’d won, but I thought the outside horse had got me. Caspar told me I’d won.”

The Tale Of The Cat gelding returned the 3.2 favourite on the back of a last start success at the course and distance but So thinks his charge might find things tougher from here on in.

“The horse has been very consistent since the spring, on turf and dirt, and now he’s won two on the dirt, so that gives us more options, but I think after this he might struggle – he might be reaching his peak and a big weight at the top of Class 3 might be difficult for him,” he said.

“He’s won three races, two this season and a cup race last season, so his owner is very happy. Brett said the horse doesn’t charge, so that’s why he started to ride before the bend and slowly, slowly, he picked up speed. He accelerates gradually, but he’s done his job and now we’ll see.”

So had a samba beat to his step earlier in the night as he teamed up with Hong Kong’s boys from Brazil to bag a brace.

Joao Moreira lived up to his “Magic Man” moniker in race three, the Class 5 Wa Mei Shan Handicap (1650m), guiding So’s Flying Machine (131lb) from gate 10 to slot seamlessly into a midfield rail berth before the field had reached the first turn.

“Excellent!” was the trainer’s succinct assessment of the jockey’s ride. “I told him midfield with cover and he got him inside, comfortable. I studied the race and, of course, we couldn’t go forward from that gate, so what could we do, go midfield with cover then let’s see how he finishes? What does Joao do? He goes inside straight away and finds the perfect spot!”

It was the 11th time So and Moreira had teamed up this season and Flying Machine, the 3.2 joint-favourite, made it win four for the combination. Moreira had also been in the plate for Flying Machine’s previous start, an 1800m victory at Happy Valley last month. 

“The horse has improved this season,” So said. “Last season he ran on the dirt when Howard Cheng rode him and he at least ran ok, so we knew he could go on the surface and that’s why we put him in here. This gives us more options now. I think he can handle 2000 metres but he showed here that he’s fine at the 1650 even though it’s on the short side for him.”

So turned to Hong Kong’s other Brazilian ace, Silvestre de Sousa, to partner the hat-trick chasing Team Fortune in race five, section two of the Class 3 Hebe Hill Handicap (1200m). Newly-arrived last week and with two wins on the board already, the former UK champion jockey was all power in the home stretch, driving the 2/1 favourite from mid rank at the turn to draw a length and a quarter clear at the line.

“He’s a strong jockey,” So said. “I really wanted to keep Douglas (Whyte) on the horse because he’s won on him the last twice, but he’s suspended and there was nothing else for the horse in the next couple of weeks, so I got Silvestre. He just took him out for daylight at the 500 because the horse didn't like the kick-back and he came home strongly.

“He’s a good dirt horse, he’s improved on this surface and now we’ll be looking at Class 2 races. He still looked easy there and he carried 132lb – what a great run. He’s consistent and his condition is very good, my only worry tonight was drawing 11 – every time a horse draws outside, I lose my confidence!”

Meanwhile, in race two, the Class 4 Shek Uk Shan Handicap (1200m), Hearts Keeper (121lb) notched a fifth win on the surface and a first since switching to David Ferraris’ stable last spring. The South African handler continued his decent start to the campaign, Hearts Keeper’s win being his seventh success.

The seven-year-old had not hit the frame since scoring at the course and distance 13 months ago but corrective throat surgery in July has put the Keeper gelding back on track.

“This horse was making a noise like a Massey-Ferguson tractor, you could hear him coming from the top of the straight - he couldn’t get the air into his lungs to go on with it,” explained Ferraris after watching Sam Clipperton drive the 14/1 chance to a grinding head verdict from Grand Harbour (133lb).

“He can breathe. He can get oxygen, that’s the difference. He just needed to have this op done, and we have the Jockey Club surgeon here, Dr. Paul Robinson, he’s fantastic, I can’t say enough about him.”

Chad Schofield was on the mark aboard  11/1 shot Golden Sun (130lb) for Tony Millard in race four, section two of the Class 4 Shek Uk Shan Handicap (1200m). But the young hoop was on the floor two races later when unseated from the Millard-trained Top Ace in the Class 4 Tin Ha Shan Handicap (1800m). The jockey walked away unscathed as Zac Purton scored atop Willie Way for trainer Paul O’Sullivan.

Moreira ended the night with a double, having taken the Class 5 opener on Snow Hooves for Derek Cruz, while trainer Peter Ho and jockey Alex Lai combined to take the Class 3 finale with Turin Pearl.

Hong Kong racing resumes at Sha Tin on Sunday, 6 November with Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse day, featuring the G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m).