Hong Kong Briefing: Back in Time at Sha Tin
Time Warp and Beauty Generation rolled back the years at Sha Tin on Sunday and Joao Moreira looks to extend his lead in the jockeys' title at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
Moreira magic helps mercurial Time Warp bounce back
Hong Kong racing went back to the future at Sha Tin on Sunday when Time Warp and Beauty Generation rolled back the years to take the HK Gold Cup and the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup.
Mercurial 25-1 shot Time Warp capitalised on a soft lead to thwart odds on stablemate Exultant in the Gold Cup under a crafty front-running ride from Joao Moreira, while fellow seven-year-old Beauty Generation ended a run of four straight defeats under Zac Purton in the latter.
But what happens next? You would have to delve deep into the complex mind of Time Warp to know whether he will fancy the job or drop the lot next time, while HK's champion stayer Exultant supplied one anti climax while racing and another in the aftermath when it was revealed that his owner has opted against sending him to Dubai for the Sheema Classic.
Beauty bounces back as Dubai decision beckons
As for Beauty Generation, a torrent of late support forced him into 1.6 but he hardly looked the imperious force of last season as he was driven out to beat the exposed Ka Ying Star with top sprinter Beat The Clock clearly well below par in fifth.
Purton feels BG is less inclined to ram home his advantage once he hits the front these days, while trainer John Moore is mad keen to head to Meydan for a possible clash with Almond Eye in the Dubai Turf but has to convince owner Patrick Kwok first.
And Kwok seemed to sum up the former master miler's current standing in a way that will resonate with many athletes of a certain vintage. "He is not like last year but his fighting spirit is never going to leave him," he said. "It is just his body that has left a little bit."
England and France in harmony as Wellington dukes it out
Attendance restrictions designed to contain coronavirus meant Sunday's two G1's played out in front of just 307 people but betting turnover still nudged £120m - with over £20m from international co-mingling - and the gamble on Beauty Generation wasn't the only late plunge.
2/2! Wellington remains undefeated to give @AlexisBadel a double! ✌️ @equidia #HKracing pic.twitter.com/P1cA1zlAa9
— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) February 16, 2020
Happy Alumni was heavily backed into 2.5 before landing the opener under Purton, while Mighty Giant (1.9), Ping Hai Bravo (3) and the exciting Wellington (1.6) were all crushed in the market before giving the strong impression that they will be winning again.
HK's resident English handler Richard Gibson isn't one for hyping horses but his enthusiasm for Wellington is as clear as his regard for his rider Alexis Badel. "I've always been a big fan of the school of French jockeys," he said. But Gibson will have to cast his net a little wider soon as Badel and fellow Frenchie Tony Piccone - who both rode doubles - will be heading back to France in early March.
Title race set for another twist
Purton shaded Moreira by three winners to two on Sunday - reducing the Brazilian's lead atop of the jockeys' table to nine - but the current champ will do well to reduce the gap further at Sha Tin's Wednesday AW meeting after securing just three rides in eight races.
By contrast, Moreira has a full book and it will be surprising if he doesn't stretch his lead to double digits on a card featuring several familiar faces from Britain and Ireland.
Iron King has Moreira up for the first time and should go well on his AW debut in the 12.15, while Zero Hedge holds solid claims in the 12.45 after a bold effort on turf recently.
Red Desert won twice when known as Catan for Roger Charlton and represents a viable alternative to the unbeaten Will Power in the 1.45, while Righteous Doctrine has been unlucky more than once of late and Moreira seems confident that he can make amends in the 2.15.
Ryan moves mounts as Silvestre misses out
One of the most significant pieces of the BMW Hong Kong Derby picture will fall into place at Sha Tin this weekend with one former British champion in town for a new ride and another missing out.
Ryan Moore has lost the ride on leading Derby hope More Than This to Purton but has picked up a fair replacement for the Classic Cup in John Size's smart four-year-old Champion's Way.
Meanwhile, Silvestre de Sousa's failure to find clear running on Enjoying at Sha Tin recently seems to have been costly. De Sousa was hoping John Moore's dual Aussie G2 winner would be his Derby ride but connections have booked Hugh Bowman for Sunday's £1m feature instead.
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