Super Lifeline will jump from gate four when he attempts to make it two in a row in the HKG3 Hong Kong Macau Trophy (Handicap) on Sunday, 8 March. Tony Millard’s charge heads into the 1400m contest off a smart third to Real Specialist and Divine Calling in the Class 1 Chinese New Year Cup (Handicap) two weeks ago.
“He’s here to defend his trophy and he’s well - his last run was good,” said Millard, who also won the race in 2011 with Sparkling Power. “He’s not a very big horse, in fact he’s a small horse, and he’s got to carry a bit of weight this time against some good horses. Drawing four is ideal. He was drawn on the inside last time and he got chopped off; Divine Calling came over him and he just didn't have enough speed, so this is good.”
Super Lifeline carried 117lb to win the 2014 renewal off a rating of 94 and this time, off a mark of 105, the five-year-old must shoulder 128lb.
The field of 14 for Sunday’s Hong Kong leg of this year’s reciprocal Interport series features nine local runners and five from Macau. The Dennis Yip-trained All You Wish, a four-time course and distance winner, heads the weights alongside Macau’s star galloper, the Chong Kin-chit-trained Wonder Mossman, with both set to carry 133lb. The former will break from gate three, while the latter has drawn gate 11.
Trainer John Moore has two contenders in Kabayan (125lb), drawn five, and the four-year-old Arpinati (119lb), drawn in gate one. The latter is yet to score in six Hong Kong starts, having registered four runner-up finishes. Those reversals include a half-length second to BMW Hong Kong Derby hope Luger last time, as well as a solid fourth in the HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Mile in January.
“Both horses have drawn well, so we’re happy with that,” said Moore. “Arpinati has got a really good chance, he’s drawn a good gate in one, and his second to Luger was excellent. They beat the rest by two and three quarter lengths, so on that Arpinati will be the horse to beat. I expect he could be favourite with Pikachu. I’m going in with very high hopes.”
The handler, who has won this race twice previously (2007 Tiber and 2012 Majestic Falcon), is hoping for a strong tempo so as to bring out the best in the Siu Pak Kwan-owned Italian import.
“The faster they go the better,” said Moore. “It’ll spread the field early. Drawn gate one he’ll have the soft run in behind and he’s got a hell of a turn-of-foot, this horse. I think 1400m is his best distance. He gets a mile but he’s just met good horses at the mile. He’s unlucky not to have won already - he’s a good horse but we just keep coming up against very good ones.”
The David Ferraris-trained Pikachu (113lb) has notched three wins, all at the course and distance, from seven starts this term, including a Class 2 success last time. The four-year-old will break from gate nine.
Wonderful Moments (123lb), a two-time course and distance winner, is seeking first win of the campaign. John Size’s charge is berthed in gate 10. Meanwhile, Dennis Yip will saddled Winning Leader (123lb, gate 6) and Gurus Dream (122lb, gate 13) along with All You Wish, and Tony Cruz relies on Mulitivictory (113lb, gate 12) who is 3lb worse off with Arpinati for defeating that rival by a length and a quarter last start.
Macau-based trainer Geoff Allendorf is responsible for Lucky And Wealthy (121lb, gate 14) and King Creole (113lb, gate 7). The Paul Wong-trained Master Of Puppets (113lb, gate 2) and the Stephen Chow-trained Easy Money (113lb, gate 8) complete the Macanese quintet.
The Barrier Draw Ceremony for Sunday’s Hong Kong Macau Trophy was held at Sha Tin Racecourse this morning (Thursday, 5 March).
Past winners of Hong Kong Macau Trophy and Macau Hong Kong Trophy
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Photo 1:
William A Nader, Executive Director, Racing of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (right), and Kwang Eng Seong, Acting Director of Racing of the Macau Jockey Club (left), jointly draw the horse at the Hong Kong Macau Trophy 2015 barrier draw ceremony at Sha Tin racecourse this morning.
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Photo 2:
Owner Dr Eddy Fong draws Gate 4 for the Hong Kong Macau Trophy defending champion - Hong Kong runner Super Lifeline.
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Photo 3:
Owner Paul Kwok Woon Hung draws Gate 11 for Macau representative Wonder Mossman.
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Photo 4:
Lyraa Ng, owner representative of Multivictory, draw Gate 12 for that Tony Cruz-trained runner.
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Photo 5:
Trainer John Moore draws Gate 5 for his race runner Kabayan.
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Photo 6:
Trainer Geoff Allendorf draws Gate 7 for Macau representative King Creole.
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Photo 7:
Top executives of the HKJC and MJC, and attending owners, guests and horse connections smile for cameras at the Hong Kong Macau Trophy 2015 barrier draw ceremony.
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Photo 8:
William A Nader, Executive Director, Racing of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (right), and Thomas Li, Executive Director and Chief Executive of the Macau Jockey Club (left).
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Photo 9:
Various guests and horse connections attend the barrier draw ceremony.
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Photo 10:
Various guests and horse connections attend the barrier draw ceremony.
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