David Hall joined a celebrated group of current Hong Kong trainers by securing his 700th Hong Kong win with a double at Sha Tin on Sunday (11 October).
Hall modestly deflected the achievement after joining contemporaries John Size (1,667), Tony Cruz (1,617), Caspar Fownes (1,243), Ricky Yiu (1,113), Francis Lui (1,043), Danny Shum (943), Dennis Yip (899), Manfred Man (749) and David Hayes (731) as winners of 700 or more races in Hong Kong.
“It’s not something you go to work every day thinking about but 700 (wins) sounds good – 800 will sound better,” Hall said after Ka Ying Attack and Kempes scored.
Hall, 62, transferred to Hong Kong in 2004 after guiding champion stayer Makye Diva to the first of her record three triumphs in the G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) before claiming Group 1s in his new surrounds with Absolute Champion and Invincible Sage.
The Australian was delighted with the performance of Ka Ying Attack (129lb), who forged along the rail under a superb ride from Matthew Poon to land the Class 2 Yuen Long Handicap (1200m) after jumping from gate 10. Taken to the tail of the field by Poon, Ka Ying Attack burst on the scene late to beat Rising Force (132lb).
“I decided to take him back and it’s easy now to say that decision was the right one but it was a perfectly executed ride as well,” Hall said. “I didn’t want him to get caught wide first-up. The horse is just flying; he’s in the zone – he finished off last season well and he’s started this season in the same form. It’s exciting, it’s great.”
Kempes (121lb) continued his brilliant form with a powerful sprint under Andrea Atzeni to overhaul Bustling City (131lb) in the closing stages of the Class 3 Lau Fau Shan Handicap (1200m, dirt). Winner of the G1 Estrellas Juvenile (1600m) as a two-year-old in Argentina, where he raced as Dark Love, Kempes has thrived with stints at Conghua.
“He’ll go back to Conghua. He’s enjoying the routine he’s in at the moment. He’s not just a dirt horse – he can run on the grass just as effectively, as you’ve seen. He’s probably as good as he’s ever been in Hong Kong – it’s taken a long time, but he’s putting it together now,” Hall said.
Gathering momentum for a tilt at a sixth Hong Kong trainers’ championship, Caspar Fownes predicts a rapid rise through the ratings for Megastar Heart after the injury-prone gelding’s emphatic victory.
Plagued with lameness issues since arriving from Australia, where he won twice including once at Listed level for Annabel Archibald, Megastar Heart (123lb) absorbed midrace pressure before fending off Swift Ascend (135lb) to win the Class 3 San Tin Handicap (1200m) by two lengths in 1m 08.53s.
Fownes said: “He’s been lame since he arrived – proper lame. It’s frustrating but that’s what we work for – to get that and hopefully now he pulls up alright and he comes back and then we’ve got something to work with going forward. If we can do that, he’s a chance to get there. He’s a chance to really get up through the ratings.
“He’s a very nice horse. He’s had a lot of problems. He’s been one of the hardest horses for me to train in my career. So, for me to get him to where he is now and finally get him fit, I think we have a really nice horse going forward and I thank the owner (Good Time Syndicate) for being a little bit patient with him because we had to take a long time to get him to where we want to have him. I think he’s a chance to go quite high.”
The Star Turn gelding’s victory earned a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million as well as prizemoney of HK$1.04 million and left reigning Hong Kong Champion Trainer Fownes with eight wins for the campaign, behind Pierre Ng (10), Manfred Man (10), Cody Mo (eight) and Hall (eight).
Jolly Brilliant (135lb) finished stoutly to win the Class 4 Ping Shan Handicap (1600m) for Ricky Yiu to give Andrea Atzeni a double after the Italian had scored on Kempes.
In-form Jerry Chau also excelled with a double. He first patiently piloted Sunny Q (133lb) to victory in the Class 5 Kam Tin Handicap (1000m) before producing another timely ride on David Eustace’s Mighty Profit (126lb) in the Class 4 Lam Tei Handicap (1200m).
Derek Leung’s rich vein of form continued with Mark Newnham’s Armour War Eagle (130lb) in the Class 4 Mai Po Handicap (1200m, dirt). Leung has 10 wins for the campaign, a tally bettered only by Zac Purton (17).
“It’s been very smooth. The trainers who always support me like Cody (Mo), Manfred (Man) and Frankie (Lor) have had a good start and I am lucky to ride with them,” Leung said.
“I just hope everything keeps going smooth and I can continue to ride winners for them and keep improving myself.”
Let’s Have Fun (119lb) broke through at his 15th attempt with victory in the Class 4 Pok Oi Cup Handicap (1200m) for David Hayes and Matthew Poon after Brett Crawford and Karis Teetan combined with Shinyu Kokoroe (127lb) to land the Class 5 Hung Shui Kiu Handicap (1200m, dirt).
Ng regained leadership of the Hong Kong trainers’ championship when Storm Mirror (130lb) defied his pursuers to prevail in the Class 4 Nam Sang Wai Handicap (1400m) for Vincent Ho before Purton and Douglas Whyte teamed with Celestial Hero (125lb) to win the Class 3 Shui Pin Wai Handicap (1400m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday (14 October).
By Leo Schlink
