Contentment breaks through in G1 Queen��s Silver Jubilee Cup

28/02/2016

Contentment made his long-anticipated Group 1 breakthrough with a brilliant win in this afternoon’s HK$10 million Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin Racecourse, a victory that had jockey Brett Prebble whooping with delight.

It was Prebble’s first time on the John Size-trained gelding and the Australian revealed post-race that he had coveted the ride for some time.

“I’ve been following him around for a couple of years now, hoping to one day put my leg over on him; he’s a high-class galloper,” he said. “I gave him a trial last week and I came here very confident.”

Prebble parked Contentment in the perfect stalking spot, outside race leader Beauty Flame, and when that rival quickened for home at the top of the stretch, Prebble was poised. Contentment accelerated, matching strides until the 200m mark, then drove on past his beaten opponent.

In behind, the Christophe Soumillon-ridden race favourite Gold-Fun peeled out to strike but the response was flat. Beauty Only, slowly away and niggled along in rear rank, closed off strongly under Ryan Moore to claim third as Beauty Flame clung to second under Zac Purton. Contentment scored by a length and three quarters in 1m 21.24s.  

“He showed a great turn-of-foot and when he got there he actually waited – he had more underneath him,” said Prebble. “He’s put his hand up as the next best thing!”

John Size has never hidden his regard for Contentment, stating more than once his opinion that the horse was capable of a G1 success, a line echoed by Joao Moreira. But the Brazilian, in the plate for seven of Contentment’s previous 10 starts, including the last two, opted to ride stablemate Thewizardofoz at declaration stage, only for that four-year-old to be scratched, paving the way for Prebble to take the reins.

“Even when the stablemate was in, I thought we would have beaten him,” said Prebble.

Size was full of praise for the five-year-old Hussonet gelding’s ability and attitude.

“He loves his training and he loves being in work,” said the handler. “He seems to thrive on that – most good horses do things like that correctly. He takes his racing well. He has a lovely temperament, he’s enthusiastic to do his best all the time and he deserved, and looked likely, to win a Group 1 one day and he’s done it.

“We’ll go towards the Champions Mile now and then see if there’s anything left for him but there’s not much to do now, the season’s nearly over for him.”