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Adventurer aims to maintain his dash up the ranks

17/12/2016

By David Morgan

Adventurer is fast establishing a reputation as a force to reckon with on Sha Tin’s straight 1000-metre strip. Trainer Me Tsui’s rapid ratings climber has already dashed to four wins at the course and distance and will attempt to make it five in Saturday’s (17 December) feature, the Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Cup Handicap.

That quartet of victories has been achieved within the span of the gelding’s five most recent starts, going back to last April when the son of Nicconi lined up for a Class 4 contest rated 48. With a two from three return so far this term, the four-year-old’s handicap mark now stands at 92, raising a query as to how much higher the chestnut can climb.

“If a horse does what he’s done, picking up so many rating points, it means they’re good, and I don't think he has reached his peak yet. I think there are a couple more points on him yet, and how many, we’ll find out,” jockey Joao Moreira said when asked at this morning’s (Friday, 16 December) Happy Valley barrier trials.

The Brazilian ace first teamed with Adventurer at the sprinter’s last start, which produced a Class 2 breakthrough at the second attempt. Moreira is hopeful that the partnership’s 100% win record will still be intact after tomorrow’s 12-runner scurry, for which gate five is the allotted starting berth.

“He’s definitely going to be right there, either leading the race or just beside the leader,” he said. “It's not an easy race but I think it’s winnable for him.”

Adventurer’s latest day out at the races was on 16 October but Tsui has kept his charge ticking over with a couple of barrier trials, the most recent on Tuesday (13 December) when Moreira pointed the gelding through 800m down the stretch. The Australian-bred passed the post with plenty in hand, ahead of nine others, in a time of 46.85s. 

“His trial was lovely,” Moreira said. “I was told to just give him an easy trial and even though he was very nice and relaxed in leading the trial all the way, he’s a very fast horse.  I think he’s a pure 1000-metre horse. He was tried at 1200 once before and he just didn't cope with it.”

Adventurer (128lb) held John Moore’s promising charge, Bad Boy (133lb) when successful last start but that rival re-opposes on 4lb better terms this time for that half-length defeat.

Also in the line-up is last time out winner Archippus (128lb) from the Paul O’Sullivan yard and a couple of interesting Hong Kong debutants. Sangria lines up for David Ferraris with some tidy French form, notably a first-up win in the Listed Prix Yacowlef (1000m) as a juvenile and a narrow second in the G3 Prix Texanita (1100m) back in May; the Danny Shum-trained Most Beautiful was a smart four-time winner in Western Australia (1000m to 1500m) and ran fourth in the G2 W. A. Guineas (1600m).

Gonna Run on dirt

The afternoon’s other Class 2 contest, the Lukfook Jewellery Hugging Family Collection Handicap (1650m), will play out on Sha Tin’s all-weather track and trainer Caspar Fownes is hopeful that Gonna Run (122lb) will prove wrong his one previous race around the inner oval.

“Forget his previous run on the dirt,” the handler said of the five-year-old’s 37 and a quarter lengths last of 13 in an 1800m heat back in May 2015. “I think he’ll handle the surface really well. This looked like a nice race to give him another run on the surface, and, as I said, I think he’ll be fine on it. If that’s the case, I think he’s competitive.”

Gonna Run arrived in Hong Kong as a 2015 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) hope, having placed fifth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club as a three-year-old. He made his local debut almost two years ago with a fair seventh in the HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), but since falling short of those once-held Derby aspirations the bay has settled into a niche as a smart handicapper, winning three times in Class 3 last term - twice at Happy Valley - before notching a Class 1 score last time out in the Chevalier Cup over a mile (turf) at Sha Tin.

“He’s in good form, he showed that with his win last start, and while there are a couple of decent runners in the race, he’s up to them,” Fownes said.

“He was a bit handier in the run last time - he normally draws a bad gate, sits right back and comes home with a big sectional, but he was able to sit midfield. He’s drawn eight this time and there’s a little bit of speed, so with only nine runners, he’ll probably sit sixth, seventh or eighth, and if he does like the surface he’ll be powering home.

“He likes that little bit of give in the turf,” he added, “which is why he’s so good at Happy Valley and he’s one of a few of mine that could go to the (G3) January Cup there - I’ll have a few entries and we’ll see whether or not they get in.”

Sam Clipperton retains the ride on the Hurricane Cat gelding against eight opponents: top-weight Harbour Master (133lb), Packing Llaregyb (123lb), Eroico (117lb), Divine Boy (116lb), Happy Surveys (115lb), King Genki (113lb), Secret Command (113lb), and Hit The Bid (113lb).

The afternoon’s 10-race card will commence at 1pm with the Class 5 Lukfook Jewellery Wedding Collection Handicap (1650m) and is due to conclude at 5.50 pm with the Class 3 Lukfook Jewellery Beloved Collection Handicap (1600m), in which Unicron Jewellery will aim to sparkle once again.

The John Size-trained four-year-old posted an impressive first win when drawing a length and a quarter clear of his rivals in a Class 4 at the course and distance last month. That was the third career start for the Hong Kong International Sale graduate.

“He’s a lovely horse going forward,” said Moreira, who has been in the plate for the Savabeel gelding’s last two runs. “His win last time was quite convincing and even though he’s up in class I think he’s capable of winning.

“There’s been definite improvement each time he’s raced. Every time he has gone out he’s made a step of improvement and I don't think it will be any different tomorrow. I’m excited to be riding him again.”

The 14-runner finale also features the talented high-weight, Baba Mama (133lb) from the Peter Ho stable, as well as the John Moore-trained Sunny Way (133lb), a smart eighth two weeks ago at his first start since a Royal Ascot win in the 2015 Listed Chesham Stakes (1400m), when known as Suits You.

 

Adventurer (No. 9) makes all to win a Class 2 1000m at Sha Tin last time out in October.
Photo 1:
Adventurer (No. 9) makes all to win a Class 2 1000m at Sha Tin last time out in October.

Gonna Run (in red / black) takes the Class 1 Chevalier Cup on 27 November.
Photo 2:
Gonna Run (in red / black) takes the Class 1 Chevalier Cup on 27 November.

 

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