Champion Jockey Zac Purton and fellow rider Vincent Ho tested the Happy Valley turf during a gallop at Hong Kong’s city track early this morning (Wednesday, 8 October), ahead of the venue’s first official barrier trials of the current season this Friday evening (10 October).
Happy Valley has been closed since June to enable the government’s Drainage Services Department to carry out work in connection with the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme, during which time sections of the famous track had to be excavated. With the affected sections carefully filled and new turf in place, Purton and Ho gave the surface a preliminary once over.
The maidens Double Point and Strong Foundation, both from the Caspar Fownes stable, were the first to stride out on the new sections of turf. After trotting for a circuit, the pair galloped from the 1200m start under Purton and Ho.
“As far as the track goes I’m very comfortable with it,” said Purton. “I think the ground and the grass have settled in really well. Of course, the grass is not quite at an even level at the moment. Speaking to John Ridley (Director of Racing Operations), the grass has only been in for seven weeks so it has grown a bit quicker in some places than others; some of it’s not quite up to the length that it is on the rest of the track but it’s only a small thing. Once they’ve clipped the grass and rolled the track, it will be fine.”
“I’m excited for the track to open again,” he added. “It quite often takes the best ride to win here and from a tactical point of view I like this track a lot. It’s a tricky track and it’s an exciting place to ride, particularly with that special atmosphere from the crowd.”
Fownes was pleased with his two horses. “They both worked nicely,” he said. “They went over the grass well and there were no dramas. It looked good but that was only two horses and the real test will come on Friday when we have more horses going over the ground at the barrier trials.”
John Ridley, Director of Racing Operations, and Kim Kelly, Chief Stipendiary Steward, were on site to monitor the trial gallop.
“We arranged this trial gallop as part of our procedures to ensure that the surface is safe and in the correct condition for the season’s first Happy Valley barrier trials on Friday night. The jockeys reported that they are satisfied with the surface,” said Ridley.
The Club is liaising closely with government departments and is monitoring the current traffic situation in Hong Kong to prepare for the first Happy Valley meeting of the 2014/2015 season, which is scheduled for Sunday, 19 October.
Related Website: Daily Trackwork Video
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Photo 1:
Photo 1, 2:
Double Point (Vincent Ho, blue cap) and Strong Foundation (Zac Purton, red cap) gallop on the Happy Valley track this morning
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Photo 2:
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