By Andrew Hawkins
Last season’s Most Popular Jockey Kei Chiong claimed her 45th Hong Kong win and lost her seven-pound claim in the process with a stellar front-running victory on Packing Dragon in a dramatic Class 3 Sutherland Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley tonight (Wednesday, 9 November).
Chiong led her rivals a merry dance on Ricky Yiu-trained Packing Dragon (126lb), who was coming off a win at the city track’s day meeting on 30 October. She controlled the tempo out in front, setting steady sectionals before utilising the advantage of her claim by upping the tempo at the 600 metres and making it difficult for her opponents to catch her, as Yiu had instructed pre-race.
“I told her, don’t push him in the early stages, the horse is well enough that he should do it for you,” Yiu said. “He is a bit of a plodder but he had a better gate today than he had at his last couple. She followed the plan perfectly.”
Packing Dragon’s win brought up victory 45 for Chiong since she made her Hong Kong debut in September last year, meaning that from Saturday’s Sha Tin meeting, she will now only receive a five-pound allowance on her rides. This will remain until she reaches 70 wins, when her claim will reduce further to three pounds.
“It’s exciting, but I know I will now have to try harder to get more winners,” Chiong said. “I am working hard now, but I am always trying to improve more and now I will have to try even harder.”
Turning for home, Dashing King blundered in midfield, losing apprentice Jack Wong, with Umberto Rispoli’s mount Mr. Pele subsequently brought down. Both riders were transported to Queen Mary Hospital where Wong was later diagnosed with a left ankle fracture.
The claimer’s pain was exacerbated when Peter Ho’s Extremely Fun (124lb) scored an upset win in the night’s feature, the Class 3 Wayfoong Centenary Bowl Handicap (1200m), with replacement rider Sam Clipperton in the saddle.
“Sam was lucky to get the ride, and I feel sad for Jack, but Jack is lucky too, because he walked away from that fall,” Ho said. “Sam is definitely the luckiest one, though. He rode the horse well, he knew he was fit and he put him right in the race.”
Earlier, trainer David Ferraris continued his recent hot run of form, scoring a race-to-race double in both sections of the Class 4 Jackson Handicap (1200m) with Sharp Hunter (132lb) and Breeders’ Star (127lb).
“I’m over the moon, and the best part is, it could have been a treble,” Ferraris said, referencing Kiram’s second to Works Of Art in the Class 4 Bank Street Handicap (1650m). “But I’m very happy with a double, things are going great this season.”
Breeders’ Star was the second leg of his brace and the subject of plenty of support, heavily backed late to start 3/1 second favourite. And the chestnut never looked like disappointing his supporters under Joao Moreira.
“Breeders’ Star has taken a bit of time to get right,” Ferraris said. “He’s very excitable, and even still he hasn’t learned what it is all about. We have to have him in the parade ring early and take him out early, and he still gets a bit hot. But today, he was quieter and that made a difference.”
“We thought he was a good chance last time out, but I think the race was even more suitable today. We were lucky to draw the inside again and Joao rode the horse perfectly. He won like a horse who can win again in this class.”
A race earlier, Sharp Hunter benefited from a deft ride from Douglas Whyte to go back-to-back.
“What a ride that was!” Ferraris exclaimed immediately after Whyte guided Sharp Hunter to victory from gate 11, snagging behind runners before railing up to settle fifth. “It was a vintage ride, and it reminds me of Douglas at his peak. It was the same with Plain Blue Banner at Sha Tin last month, he took tight gaps with no hesitation, he had such conviction and he made the difference between winning and losing.”
It had been a long time between drinks for Sharp Hunter, who was winless in 20 starts since May 2014 before breaking through early last month, but Ferraris said the little bit of confidence gained last time out proved crucial late.
“He was so consistent last season, he was unlucky not to win once,” the trainer said. “But you see it sometimes with horses who haven’t won in a while, they get one victory, then two, then three. It’s a confidence thing, and this horse, his confidence is high right now. He’ll go up to Class 3 now, but if he can strike a weak Class 3 with a light weight, maybe he can make it three in a row.”
Whyte himself brought up a double in the final race, taking the Class 2 Queen’s Road Central Handicap (1200m) on Tony Cruz-trained Verbinsky, while trainer Danny Shum also got among the two-time scorers, taking the opening two Class 5 races with Sparkling Talent (130lb) in the Battery Path Handicap (1000m) and Casa Master (133lb) in the Des Voeux Handicap (1650m).
Racing returns to Sha Tin on Saturday, with the Class 1 Panasonic Cup Handicap (1400m) the feature.
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Photo 1:
Kei Chiong salutes the crowd as she crosses the line on Packing Dragon to lose her seven-pound claim.
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Photo 2:
Douglas Whyte drives Sharp Hunter through a narrow gap to score the first leg of a double.
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