Joyful justification as rising star sweeps to G3 Celebration Cup triumph

01/10/2016

By David Morgan

Joyful Trinity justified the pre-race confidence of his trainer and jockey with a comfortable victory in the Group 3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin today, Saturday, 1 October, a win that put the four-year-old one step closer to an anticipated tilt at December’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile.

A decisive change of speed at the top of the home stretch initiated a sweeping surge from back in the pack that carried the John Moore trainee to a length and a quarter success in a smart time of 1m 21.11s.

“Nice horse – good turn of foot!” exclaimed winning rider Joao Moreira as he jogged back, grinning, from the post-race presentation.

“Last time he was a bit unlucky but today he had a beautiful run through,” the Brazilian continued. “He just showed his good turn-of-foot and he got there pretty easily. It was an easy win and John Moore has another promising horse for the international races in December. We feel like he can still improve, which is a good place to be.”

Joyful Trinity (115lb), a fast-closing second beaten a short-head on his season’s bow three weeks ago, enjoyed a dream run this time. Moreira settled the French import in eighth spot along the inner as stable mate Dashing Fellow (118lb) edged Beauty Flame (129lb) for the lead. The latter kicked on entering the home run; Moreira switched Joyful Trinity to centre track and engaged turbo (22.05s for the final 400m), passing the leader with 150m to race.

“After that run and running that time I would have to say that he’s a horse with Hong Kong Mile potential,” Moore said. “I know the top ones were giving him 18 or 19lb but he did show that usual turn-of-of foot that he has and it was lightning fast today. He won very impressively.

“But it’s a handicap,” he added, pragmatically. “You go back to set weights and things have got to turn around a bit and he’s got to prove himself in the trial and then on the world stage. But the owner is keen to run in the Hong Kong Mile and he should have got enough rating points today to make that happen. I’m delighted.”

Joyful Trinity is likely to step out next in the G2 Oriental Watch 55th Anniversary Sha Tin Trophy (1600m) in three weeks’ time.

“He’ll go in against them in the Sha Tin Trophy on the 23rd and he’s going to get towards meeting them at levels in the mile trial (G2 Jockey Club Mile) in November, and then he’ll have to prove himself. He’s a horse on the climb and it’s great to pick up these handicaps with horses that have come into Hong Kong from overseas, these races give them confidence and they can build into those level weights races.”

Heading along the same path towards the LONGINES Hong Kong Mile is another exciting Moore galloper, Helene Paragon (131lb), first-up for the campaign and four and a half lengths 10th behind his stablemate.

“Helene Paragon ran a nice race – well underdone,” the trainer said. “Take nothing away from that, he can run on the 23rd and then in the mile trial in November.”

The Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Only (132lb) finished late and fast (final 400m in 22.18s) under Zac Purton to clinch second, a neck ahead of stablemate Beauty Flame.

“He ran really well,” Purton said. “He had to carry a lot of weight against some emerging types who got in very light, it’s also a little bit short of his best but he ran a great race and there’s plenty to be excited about going forward. There was some concern when the track came up yielding this morning but it dried throughout the day and so the track wasn’t against him, it was firm enough. He’s on the right track.”

Joyful Trinity’s success, meanwhile, gave Moore a National Day double, the handler having taken race five, the Class 4 Chengdu Handicap (1200m), with the promising Sea Jade. The unfurnished three-year-old was scoring at the third attempt and first-up for the term, with Sam Clipperton in the plate.

“He worked well going into it and the jockey got off and said he lived right up to his track work,” Moore said. “There’s been quite a lot of physical improvement since last season and Sam said he’s still got growing to do – his saddle slipped the other morning and you can see he’s got no wither at the moment, so he’s got physical improvement there. He has quite a bit of potential, given time.”

That was the initial leg of a first Hong Kong treble for Clipperton. The young hoop took his tally for the season to five as the Benno Yung-trained Sensation landed race nine, the Class 3 Tianjin Handicap (1400m), and the Chris So-trained Turf Sprint the finale, Section 2 of the Class 2 Beijing Handicap (1200m).

“It’s great, it’s a huge thrill, it’s a big privilege and to ride a treble is something I could only have dreamed about,” Clipperton said. “I came in today with some good rides but I wasn’t overly confident. I thought a few of them could run well though and Hong Kong racing is all about luck, so it was great that everything fell into place.”

Moreira notched a treble of his own to go top in the jockeys’ premiership with 11 wins. The Champion Jockey scored in the first, the Class 5 Xian Handicap (1400m) atop the Danny Shum-trained Good Method and also took race six, the Class 3 Shanghai Handicap (1200m) on the Francis Lui-trained Iron Boy.

Brett Prebble won the day’s other feature, the G3 National Day Cup (1000m) atop Amazing Kids. And the Australian was at his whooping best with a double, sounding his familiar victory cry when the Me Tsui-trained New Asia Sunrise battled home in race seven, Section 1 of the Class 2 Beijing Handicap (1200m).

The trainer said: “New Asia Sunrise can find more improvement. Prebble rode a very patient race three deep and the horse settled very well. He’s a small horse and I think he is better fresh – I think he can find more improvement yet.”

Today’s turnover of  HK$1.397 billion was a record for the National Day Meeting, while the attendance of 35,434 was the largest for the meeting since 2007.

Hong Kong racing resumes at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening, 5 October.