A clutch of leading local gallopers will lock horns during National Day Cup fixture on Thursday, 1 October, when Sha Tin Racecourse will stage the first two Group races of Hong Kong’s 2015/16 season, the HKG3 National Day Cup (Handicap) and the HKG3 Celebration Cup (Handicap).
Peniaphobia (133lb) heads the weights for the day’s prime feature contest, a 1000m charge down Sha Tin’s famous straight. The Tony Cruz-trained speedster emerged last season as the brightest young prospect in Hong Kong’s sprint division thanks to runner-up finishes in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at home and the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) in Dubai, as well as a course and distance victory in the HKG1 Centenary Sprint Cup.
Joao Moreira will take the ride on Thursday, having partnered the Dandy Man four-year-old for the first time in a 1200m all-weather track barrier trial last week. The Brazilian believes Peniaphobia is ready to do himself justice first-up for the season, but is looking at longer term returns from his new partnership.
“Peniaphobia trialled well - well enough to give me confidence that he’s going to be a very good ride for this season,” said Hong Kong’s champion jockey. “But I got the ride thinking of the future, thinking that if he builds on what he did last season, being a year older with that experience he now has, he may be able to win some international races.
“Looking at this race, over the 1000 metres, it’s a bit tough because he’s running against some really good 1000-metre horses and it’s a handicap where he’s carrying top-weight, but if he brings his ‘A game’ he’s going to be there with a chance.”
Amber Sky (129lb), a horse Moreira famously rode to Al Quoz Sprint glory in 2014, is one of those straight track stars that Peniaphobia, second in this race last year, will have to contend with. Another is the David Hall-trained Bundle Of Joy (127lb), the horse that took the National Day Cup spoils 12 months ago.
Zac Purton, Moreira’s predecessor as champion jockey, will get the leg-up on Amber Sky whom trainer Ricky Yiu is attempting to bring back to something approaching his peak of two season back. Amber Sky endured a below-par 2014/15 season, his best effort from only four starts being a solid fourth place in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, but the six-year-old pleased Purton in his most recent barrier trial, a 1000m turf heat on 22 September.
“He has his share of weight and there are quality sprinters in the field so it's a competitive race, but his last trial was much better than the previous one,” said Purton.
“I had trialled him on the pre-season carnival night and he trialled ok - obviously he’d had a long time off from his previous race in Dubai in March but he didn’t give me the feel I wanted. Ricky has since upped the ante with him and I was really happy with his second trial, he jumped out and ran right through the line - it was good. I think he’s in pretty good form now.”
The National Day Cup field also features the Tony Millard-trained Super Jockey (124lb), last seen running a close second in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt) at Meydan in March, as well as the Hall-trained 1000m specialist Rad (121lb).
John Moore will saddle Charles The Great (127lb), Not Listenin’tome (120lb) and Frederick Engels (117lb), while the Millard stable will also look to Golden Harvest (122lb). The John Size-trained Tour De Force (122lb) and Access Years (117lb) and All You Wish (114lb) from the Dennis Yip stable complete the exciting line-up.
In the day’s other feature race, the Celebration Cup (1400m), the Moore-trained triple G1 winner Dan Excel (133lb) will take on the likes of Beauty Flame (128lb), Dundonnell (129lb), Packing Llaregyb (121lb) and the potential up-and-comers Contentment (115lb), Giant Treasure (114lb) and Divine Calling (114lb).
Past 10 winners of the National Day Cup
