Trainer David Hall hopes a fine draw and a gear change could help his consistent charge Apollo’s Choice (120lb) earn a breakthrough win, and in the process, bring him a third success in the HKG3 Hong Kong Macau Trophy (1400m) this Sunday, 6 March.
The barrier draw ceremony of this annual Interport race was held at Sha Tin Racecourse this morning. Having run three seconds and a fourth in his last four starts, the Choisir five-year-old is drawn in gate eight and will have blinkers on for the first time this weekend.
“I’m pretty happy with his draw. It’s a lucky number. I think 1400m is probably not the perfect distance for him. He’s probably more of a miler. But we’ve kept him fresh and he’s in the right handicap conditions,” said Hall, who previously won the Hong Kong Macau Trophy twice, with Solar Great in 2013 and Hawkes Bay in 2009.
“He’s a horse that probably needs a little bit of comfort, as far as he has been running second. He’s very consistent and he has three seconds now. So we will just try to make something happen with him and hopefully the blinkers can help him.”
For other leading Hong Kong contenders, top-weight Packing Llaregyb (133lb) drew gate three, five-time course and distance winner Dashing Fellow (124lb) will break from gate nine while the fast-improving Travel Renyi (117lb) goes from gate five. The 2014 race winner Super Lifeline (124lb) is drawn gate 11.
Starting immediately inside Apollo’s Choice will be last year’s Macau Derby (1800m) winner The Alfonso (120lb, gate seven), the leading hope among the five-strong Macau contingent this year. Trainer Joe Lau is satisfied with the draw, saying that his horse is now fresh and sound despite being withdrawn from a G2 event in Macau three weeks ago.
“He had a temperature and was scratched from the race last time, but he’s now okay, no problem,” said Lau. “The 1400m is a bit on the short side for him. He needs a mile or even 1800m. But he’s now a bit fresh and hopefully things go on his side on Sunday.”
Master Of Puppets (127lb, gate six), Bobo So Cute (113lb, gate one), Sheng Li Win (113lb, gate 14) and Valiant Soldier (113lb, gate two) are the other four runners representing Macau.
The Hong Kong Macau Trophy will be run as the ninth race on an eleven-race programme, which begins at 12.30pm.
Past winners of Hong Kong Macau Trophy and Macau Hong Kong Trophy
|
Photo 1:
Anthony Kelly, Executive Director, Racing Business and Operations of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (right), and Kwang Eng Seong (left), Operations Controller of the Macau Jockey Club, jointly draw the number of first horse in the Hong Kong Macau Trophy barrier draw ceremony at Sha Tin this morning.
|
Photo 2:
Jockey Neil Callan gets gate 12 for his mount Divine Calling.
|
|
Photo 3:
Trainer David Hall draws gate 8 for his stable runner Apollo��s Choice.
|
Photo 4:
Owner Dr Eddy Fong draws gate 7 for his runner Super Lifeline.
|
|
Photo 5:
Owner Chan Sui Wah of Macau runner Bobo So Cute draws Gate 1.
|
Photo 6:
All attending HKJC executives, MJC executives and horse connections smile for cameras at the Hong Kong Macau Trophy barrier draw ceremony this morning.
|
