By Andrew Hawkins
Trainer Richard Gibson has urged caution with returning sprinter Jetwings in the Class 2 Sai Kung Handicap (1000m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (22 February), suggesting that the five-year-old is in need of the run as he makes his first raceday appearance in over 14 months.
“It seems a lot of people are excited to see him back, but I want to see how he returns first,” Gibson said at Sha Tin trackwork on Tuesday morning (21 February). “He’s been off the track for a long time, there are a couple of very decent performers in the race and he’s going to be rusty.”
Jetwings (131lb) last raced on the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races undercard at Sha Tin in December 2015, finishing fifth to Fabulous One and Amazing Kids in a Class 2 over 1200m at just his second run of the 2015/16 season. However, the issue-plagued chestnut ended up on the sidelines later that month and has not been seen since.
A recurrence of a left fore tendon injury and suspensory issues almost brought a premature end to his Hong Kong career, with the son of Jet Spur sent back to Australia to recuperate for most of 2016. He entered training for original handler Gerald Ryan, even finishing second to Ryan-trained mare Girl Sunday in a barrier trial at Rosehill in October under former Hong Kong rider Tye Angland.
“They did a great job back in Australia getting him back into shape,” Gibson said. “He went back to Gerald Ryan, and they double-checked that he was ready to return up here with a trial before he arrived back here in November. He’s come back, he’s a very straightforward horse to train and this is the first of two races we hope he will run in at Happy Valley.”
The gelding has had two barrier trials since his return to Hong Kong, finishing a six-length third to Tony Millard-trained Travel Comforts over Wednesday night’s course and distance on 21 January before a narrow second to John Size’s Eroico in a 1050m Sha Tin all-weather track heat on 7 February.
“He’s not a great work horse,” the trainer admitted. “But he never has been either, so it is difficult to assess where he is at. I think we will learn a lot from Wednesday night.’
Douglas Whyte jumps aboard Jetwings for just the second time, with the galloper set to start from gate three in the 10-horse field.
D B the Pin for Purton as Size seeks milestone
The likely favourite in Wednesday night’s Class 2 is Size-trained D B Pin (130lb), a Class 4 winner over the course and distance in November.
The four-year-old subsequently won twice impressively over the Sha Tin 1000m in Class 3, and while he was a game second last time out at his first attempt in Class 2, he struggled at the end of 1200m, according to regular rider Zac Purton.
“The two times he’s raced over the 1200m at Sha Tin now, he’s looked the winner everywhere except the last 50m,” said Purton, who partners the Darci Brahma gelding again on Wednesday night. “He basically falls over the line (at the Sha Tin 1200m), just with the longer straight and he finds it a little bit far. But back in distance is more suitable and we know he goes well at the Valley.”
D B Pin led throughout to “win” a barrier trial over the Sha Tin 1050m on 14 February, and Purton believes the bay is entering Wednesday night’s sprint in fine fettle.
“He went nicely,” the rider said. “He’s becoming a little more relaxed as he goes along. He doesn’t grab the bit and charge along like he used to, but he used his action nicely and he pulled up well so he’s in good form.”
The galloper meets a strong field over the minimum trip, with last-start winner Charity Joy (133lb), Happy Valley specialist Back In Black (125lb) and Triumphant Jewel (119lb) among the main dangers.
D B Pin is one of six runners at the meeting for Size, who is on the verge of becoming just the third active handler to train 1000 winners in Hong Kong.
The Australian trainer, who began his Hong Kong training career in 2001, reached 999 wins with Nothingilikemore’s five-length rout in the Class 3 Tak Ku Ling Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Only Hong Kong icons John Moore (1543) and Tony Cruz (1102) have reached the millennium mark.
Wednesday night’s meeting could also see another record fall to champion jockey Joao Moreira, who could break his own mark for the fastest century of wins in a season. The Brazilian rider sits on 97 wins for the 2016/17 term after 435 races and has a full book of rides as he seeks to better his own record, which he set last season when he took 462 races to bring up 100 winners.
The Class 2 Sai Kung Handicap is the fifth of eight races at Happy Valley and will jump at 9:15pm, with the opener, the Class 5 Fanling Handicap (1650m), slated for 7:15pm.
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Photo 1:
Jetwings wins his Hong Kong debut over the Sha Tin straight course two seasons back.
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Photo 2:
D B Pin completes a hat-trick of wins at his penultimate start with Zac Purton on board.
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Photo 3:
Trainer John Size needs one more win to reach a career milestone of 1000 wins in Hong Kong.
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