Beauty Only and Divine Calling engaged in a rousing final furlong duel to decide the Class 1 Kwangtung Handicap Cup, the feature race at Sha Tin this afternoon, Sunday, 13 September.
The former prevailed, but only just. Neil Callan’s trademark vigour in the drive was required to full effect as the Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Only popped his white nose in front right on the line to deny the Vincent Ho-ridden grey by the minimum margin.
“He’s a stronger horse this season,” said Callan of last season’s HKG1 Hong Kong Classic Mile winner. “He’s mentally stronger and we know he’s a Group 1 horse, so he’s got a lot of class. With all those ingredients together, hopefully his future is bright.”
Beauty Only showed plenty of mental grit in this afternoon’s 1400m test, for which he shouldered 129lb compared to the Caspar Fownes-trained runner-up’s 123lb. Callan found himself mid-rank and wide in the run but directly in Divine Calling’s slipstream as Kabayan, the eventual third, led the 11 runners into the home stretch.
With the leader all out and the prominently-placed race favourite Giant Treasure flat-footed in the run, Divine Calling, having his first start for his new stable, swept to the fore at the 200m point. But as Ho got to work, Beauty Only and Callan drove relentlessly along his left flank for the Holy Roman Emperor gelding’s fourth Hong Kong win at his 11th start.
“The horse had quite a lot of races last year and he just took them in his stride,” said Callan, who has been ever-present on the four-year-old since its import from Italy. “The thing I love about him is that he’s matured more for it. He’s got the speed for 1400m but that just goes to show his class – he’s versatile. Normally he’s better at a mile and I predict that he’s so much more relaxed this year that he’d probably extend beyond that: 1400m, a mile, 1800m it wouldn’t matter to him.
Beauty Only clocked a winning time of 1m 21.83s for his first effort of the campaign and recorded a final split of 21.78s.
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Photo 1:
Photo 1, 2
Beauty Only (No.2), with Neil Callan on board, edges Divine Calling (No.6) to win the Kwangtung Handicap Cup (Class 1, 1400m).
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Photo 2
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Photo 3:
Connections of Beauty Only pose for a winning photo in the winner's circle.
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Photo 4:
Mrs Sheila Ip (front row, second from right), wife of Dr Simon S O Ip, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, presents the Kwangtung Handicap Cup to the winning Owner Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen (front row, third from right).
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Photo 5:
Photo 5, 6
Mrs Sheila Ip(right), wife of Dr Simon S O Ip, Chairman of the HKJC, presents a souvenir to the winning trainer Tony Cruz and winning jockey Neil Callan.
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Photo 6
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Photo 7:
Group photo after the trophy presentation of the Kwangtung Handicap Cup.
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