Helene Paragon is quite the celebrity among Spain’s racing “expertos” and young hoop Chad Schofield is hoping the four-year-old can take an important step towards headlining in Hong Kong when he lines up on Sunday (29 May) for the first running of the HKG3 Lion Rock Trophy (Handicap).
“If he’s anywhere as good as I think he is he’ll be right there at the finish, especially with a light weight,” said Schofield of the bay, who heads into the weekend’s mile feature with five Sha Tin starts on the board for two classy wins - one either side of a solid fifth in the HKG1 BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March.
Helene Paragon started his career with trainer Fernando Perez-Gonzalez in Spain, winning a San Sebastian maiden first-up by close to 10 lengths. Known then as Sir Andrew, the Polan colt progressed through France’s provincial circuit before really catching the eye last spring and summer with a pair of solid G1 efforts in France, running fifth in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and third in the Prix Jean Prat.
Nowadays sporting the Woo family’s famous orange silks and racing out of John Moore’s powerful stable, the four-year-old continues to impress as a horse oozing G1 potential. The Lion Rock Trophy will no doubt reveal more.
“It’s a tough race. It’s by far the stiffest test he’s faced in Hong Kong but he feels like a really classy horse,” said Schofield, who has ridden Helene Paragon in track work recently. Sunday will see the pair connect in a race for the first time.
“He’s relaxed in his work, he’ll sit behind his mate and as soon as it’s time to join him he means business and he takes off - he’s a very, very nice horse,” he continued. “I took him on the grass yesterday, just by himself. He had a nice blow out before Sunday and he feels great.”
Schofield took Helene Paragon through 800m in 54.1s (28.1, 26.0) Thursday morning.
A light weight of 116lb places Helene Paragon bottom but one in the handicap for the 11-runner contest. Tony Cruz’s G1 stalwarts Beauty Flame and Beauty Only top the weights with 133lb and while that hefty concession looks favourable, Schofield is a little less satisfied with a wide draw.
“He’s drawn 11, which is not ideal, but he’s been taken back most of his starts, so Mr. Moore may well want me to adopt the same tactics,” he said.
Helene Paragon is seeking to make it three wins from his latest four outings. There was plenty of wow factor contained in his most recent performance, a switch-out-and-sprint demolition of a smart Class 2 field at 1400m. The French-bred powered through the final 400m in 22.32s under Joao Moreira, who on Sunday will partner another exciting Moore trainee, the three-year-old Rapper Dragon (117lb).
Schofield was impressed with Helene Paragon’s recent win and is delighted to have received the call-up this time.
“He’s a horse that had very good form in France last year and his win with Joao on board last time was impressive - horse can't pick up and sprint like that unless they’re top class,” he said. “His best asset is his turn-of-foot, he has an outstanding turn-of-foot and he feels to me like he’s a classy miler.”
The Lion Rock Trophy also features the Caspar Fownes-trained Gun Pit (130lb) and stablemate Dundonnell (127lb), as well as the Moore-trained Rewarding Hero (130lb), Secret Weapon (125lb) from the Dennis Yip stable, the Cruz-trained Romantic Touch (120lb), the Peter Ho-trained Flame Hero (117lb) and Top Act (113lb) from the Tony Millard yard.
Sunday’s card commences at 12.45pm and also features a simulcast of the G1 Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby (2.40pm). The Lion Rock Trophy is race eight, due off at 4.35pm.
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Photo 1:
Helene Paragon prevails impressively last time in a Class 2 1400m event under Joao Moreira.
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