Buoyant after a career-best treble at Sha Tin last Sunday (25 June), Pierre Ng maintained impressive momentum with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (28 June) to forge to 40 wins for the season in an excellent debut campaign.
Solidifying his place in the Hong Kong trainers’ championship top 10, Ng followed Sunday’s three-timer with a pair of narrow wins by Turquoise Alpha and Turin Mascot to extend an accomplished freshman season.
Turquoise Alpha posted his third win for the season, having previously struck at Sha Tin on both the turf and dirt circuits before tonight’s triumph in the Class 4 Ewo Challenge Trophy Handicap (1650m) under Angus Chung.
Outlining a stable target of 45 wins by the end of the term, Ng said: “Hopefully the stable can keep going until the season ends. It (45 wins) should be manageable.”
Turin Mascot claimed a HK$1 million PP Bonus for victory in the Class 3 Aster Handicap (2200m) under Zac Purton. Headed by Total Power only strides from the finish line, the Caravaggio gelding prevailed by a nose to give Ng his 39th win of the season.
“I knew he had a chance and he just got there. Hopefully, he will mature next season and he will get more straight forward so he can win by a bigger margin than tonight,” said Ng, who outlined a target of 45 wins for the term.
Ricky Yiu also enjoyed a brace, featuring with Solar Partner and Splendid Living. Solar Partner made it two wins in a row with success in the second section of the Class 4 Dianthus Handicap (1200m) under Hugh Bowman before Michael Dee dictated terms on Splendid Living to win the Class 3 Chamomile Handicap (1650m).
With Friday evening’s (30 June) 2023 Hong Kong International Sale fast approaching, Denfield confirmed his talent with a swooping victory in the third section of the Class 4 Dianthus Handicap (1200m) for Danny Shum and Vincent Ho.
The Deep Field gelding topped the 2022 Hong Kong International Sale with a bid of HK$7.8 million and had twice finished second before tonight’s impressive triumph, which Shum believes will set the scene for higher future achievement.
“He’s improving, he’s more relaxed than before. Earlier this season, he wasn’t there – he’s still only three years old. He has a bright future next season. He should handle 1400 metres, even 1600 metres,” Shum said.
Ho closed the meeting emphatically with the brilliant win of Wonder Kit in the Class 3 Violet Handicap (1200m) for Francis Lui. Unbeaten in two Australian starts as Aliboog when trained by Les Kelly, Wonder Kit trailed the leaders from barrier one before exploding clear in the finale.
By Sooboog, Wonder Kit earned a HK$1million PP Bonus for the win.
Peter Ho notched his stable’s 14th success of the campaign when Keith Yeung drove Splendid Star – who was unplaced in 17 previous starts – to victory in the Class 5 Camelia Handicap (1800m). Rated only 11, the Deep Field gelding was having his 12th start of the season with a best finish of sixth at Sha Tin on 9 April.
Ho believes the four-year-old benefited from a winning 1600m trial at Sha Tin on 13 June.
“It’s unbelievable,” Ho said. “Actually, after the trial that he won last month – maybe he learned something from that trial. Today, he had a bit of luck because the pace was fast so he can settle at the back easily and in the back straight he just followed the horse that led him into the race.
“He carried a feather weight (115lb) and he’s only four.”
Needing two more winners at Class 4 or above to satisfy the trainers’ performance criteria of 16 wins for the season, Ho said: “I am so keen to train next season because my interest and my hobby is horses. This is why I never give up. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
Chung laid the foundations for his brace with a superbly judged front-running ride, allowing Dennis Yip-trained Yeaboi to clinch the first section of the Class 4 Thistle Handicap (1650m) before Harry Bentley combined with Caspar Fownes to land the first section of the Class 4 Dianthus Handicap (1200m) with Young Life Forever.
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Saturday (1 July) with the Hong Kong Reunification Raceday.
