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Derby aspirants face the Disegno test

10/02/2017

By David Morgan

Derby prospect is a tough tag to justify, just look at California Disegno. Tony Cruz’s charge flirted with Derby pretensions last year only to miss out on Hong Kong’s blue riband, and in Saturday’s Class 2 Sam Shing Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin the five-year-old will aim to put that experience to full use against a quartet of this season’s BMW Hong Kong Derby entrants.

Prior to import, the Fastnet Rock gelding made the frame in the Feilden Stakes and the Dee Stakes - two traditional milestones for horses eyeing a tilt at the English Derby. Purchased thereafter as a BMW Hong Kong Derby hopeful, that dream evaporated with a distant 11th in last year’s Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), but solid recent form suggests that the bay is now finding his feet.

“He had the form in England that shows he’s got ability, so now hopefully he knows the place (Hong Kong) and can show his best. He didn’t quite make it to the top level over there and it’s been the same here so far, but he’s a nice horse and I think Tony has found the right race for him,” jockey Silvestre de Sousa said at track work this morning, Friday, 10 February.

De Sousa partnered California Disegno to finish a head second to subsequent Hong Kong Classic Mile third Beauty Generation in a course and distance Class 2 on 8 January. That was the Brazilian rider’s first engagement with the bay, who is seeking to break a 14-race losing streak that stretches back to June, 2014 and a juvenile maiden win on Kempton’s Polytrack for Sir Michael Stoute.

“It was a smashing run last time, I was pleased with that and now I’m just hoping for a bit of luck this time,” he said. “The race didn’t pan out and that’s the way it is sometimes, but tomorrow I hope he can get a better run because Tony’s (Cruz) horses are in blinding form and I think this horse is, too. He’ll be competitive if he gets the luck.”

The Cruz stable notched a feature race double at Happy Valley on Wednesday and is double-handed in this 10-runner contest, with one of the aforementioned Derby prospects, Circuit Hassler, seeking to build on a last start eighth behind Rapper Dragon in the Classic Mile. That result represented a step forward for the New Zealand import, the pace-setter in that first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.

“It’s a small field, not many horses, and I’ll be hoping to try to lead the race,” jockey Matthew Chadwick said. “He’s a bit one-paced but I think he can set good sectionals at a high tempo. He’s a bit laidback but the further he goes the better.

“I think he’s come on as a horse, he’s improved each run and I think he’s a more solid horse now. If he can improve another couple of lengths off his last run, I’d like to think I could dictate on my terms up front and hopefully he can stay on.
It’s an open race; I don’t think there’s a standout.”

Raghu, People’s Knight and Let Us Win are the others holding an entry for the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 19 March.

Fun trio for Size and Moreira

In the afternoon’s other Class 2 contest, the 12-runner Tai Hing Handicap (1200m), Joao Moreira has high hopes that House Of Fun can bounce back to the form that carried him to a five and three quarter-length victory in a Class 3 at the course and distance back in December.

John Size’s smart four-year-old was handed a 14lb ratings hike for that saunter and failed to fire off his new mark a month later when eighth in a 1400m Class 3 contest. Now in Class 2 for the first time with only 117lb on his back, Moreira expects a bold run.

“It was a very disappointing performance last time, wasn’t it? The weight he had on his back plus the distance last time were factors as to why he performed that way,” Moreira said.
“But now he’s in Class 2, carrying bottom-weight and back down in distance; I think that is the key to him showing us his best form. If he runs up to his top level, you would think he’s a winning chance.”

Moreira will team up with Size in each of the afternoon’s final three contests and in the last of those, the Class 3 Wu King Handicap (1400m), he partners the exciting three-year-old Beat The Clock.

The Hinchinbrook gelding notched his second win at start five last time - a three and a half-length verdict that resulted in an 11lb rise in the ratings. Size believes the promising bay will be hard to beat despite shouldering top-weight of 133lb against 13 useful rivals.

“He’s only a three-year-old, he’s a little bit young for this and he’s progressing quickly,” he said, before adding. “He’ll be hard to beat in a race like that anyway. He’s a horse with plenty of ability so he’s the one in the race that’s going to be hard to beat.

“He tries hard and does everything good. He’s got good speed, he puts himself there in the race; he’s always going to be hard to beat in any type of event.”

And Size and Moreira will also be in tandem with the four-year-old Volitation, another last start winner, albeit back in November, who will line up in race nine, section two of the Class 3 Wu King Handicap (1400m).

“He’s sound; I think he had a bit of time off with a blood disorder,” Size said. “He seems healthy enough, he’s had a couple of trials and he’s ready to get back to the races. He’s in pretty good shape.

“His trials have been good. He sort of struggled a little bit in Class Three when he first went in there but he looks like he’s come up to it, he’s been improving gradually in his races. He might be able to win another one.”

Happy Happy Man

Manfred Man will saddle two interesting three-year-olds in the first half of Saturday’s card and Moreira has high expectations for the first of those, Happy Happy Star, in the Class 4 Lung Yat Handicap (1200m). The O’Reilly gelding ran a smart second on debut behind Daring Fit, a winner again since. 

“I think he’s ready to win,” the champion jockey said. “He’s quite a mature type of horse even though he’s quite young in age. The way he’s going I really have a lot confidence, especially when you look at his form. The horse that beat him in his first start went out there and won again. So, he’s got form, he’s got fitness and I don’t think the barrier (8) is too bad - he had a bad draw last time (12). Everything looks to be going his way and I’m quite excited about him.”

On Monday, Moreira partnered the Australian-bred through a good piece of work on the turf in which he clocked 47.8s (26.7, 21.1) for 800m. The gelding’s galloping companion on that occasion was Big Time Baby, who will debut in race five, the Class 3 Po Tin Handicap (1000m).

Big Time Baby was highly-tried in five starts in England and rounded out his European career last August with a 1000m Listed win - his third success - at York’s prestigious Ebor Meeting. De Sousa partnered the Dandy Man gelding in a recent barrier trial, in which he anchored his mount in rear, and was in the plate for Monday’s gallop when the bay played the role of hare and stopped the clock at 47.3s (26.0 21.3).

“The plan in his last trial was just to settle him out the back,” de Sousa said. “He’s a horse that looks like he’s got speed. He’s a nice horse but he just hasn’t really settled over here yet.

“He could run well but he’s a work in progress and on his first start over here I’d not be expecting a lot. While he’s in there to try to win, I think he’s a horse for the future. He’s done plenty for fitness but he’ll improve down the line.”

California Disegno (inside) finishes a gallant second behind Beauty Generation in his last start.
Photo 1:
California Disegno (inside) finishes a gallant second behind Beauty Generation in his last start.

House Of Fun wins comfortably in his penultimate start over 1200m at Sha Tin.
Photo 2:
House Of Fun wins comfortably in his penultimate start over 1200m at Sha Tin.

Beat The Clock notches his second win with Joao Moreira on board.
Photo 3:
Beat The Clock notches his second win with Joao Moreira on board.

 

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