3 minute read
Big Alloy produced a dazzling last to first performance to win Saturday’s SJM Macau Derby Trial over 1500 metres on the rain shortened turf program at Taipa.
Following the running of race three the heavens erupted and Macau - for the second weekend straight - was lashed by severe tropical storms and lightning.
The remaining races on the card were cancelled and will be added to next Friday night’s race card.
Prepared by Alan Tam and ridden by Luis Corrales, Big Alloy powered home late down to outside to win running away from Luen On Dance Kid (Oscar Chavez), with the favorite Éclair Lightning (Shogo Nakano) running third.
It was win number six in the enclave for Big Alloy a son of the speedy Foxwedge who as a three year old was a winner of the Group 1 2012 William Reid Stakes. The gelding is out of the Bernadini mare Berna, and was a $A42,000 purchase at the 2016 Ready to Race Sale in Sydney.
Big Alloy has been a model of consistency from day one with his record now reading 19 runs for six wins, four seconds and five thirds. After Saturday he is nudging the $HK1.5 million mark in prize money.
Unlike his sire Foxwedge, who was a gun sprinter, Big Alloy is the total opposite and possesses no early dash.
The 4YO fell out of the gates on Saturday and was even given a crack with the whip by Corrales to stay in touch in last place. Still last at the 600m Big Alloy got rolling around the outside and was on the back of Luen On Dance Kid rounding the corner. Once in the straight he let down magnificently to storm home wide out to win handsomely.
Jockey Luis Corrales was full of praise for the bay after the win.
“I thought the 1500 metres might have been a bit short for him against those horses, but they went very hard in the race and that suited me fine," Corrales said.
"We were a long way off them but he has a great finish and I was able to bring him out wide for a good clear run.”
The Macau Derby has always been Alan Tam’s long range target with the trainer knowing what it takes to win the coveted event having won the race three times.
Tam won the Derby in 2002 with Royal Treasure under Frankie Dettori in what was his first year as a trainer.
He followed that up the next year with Analyst bolting in under Cedric Segeon, and then had a 10 year wait before Elderly Paradise destroyed his opponents with a massive win in 2012.
Big Alloy does not possess the same star quality as these Derby victors but his never say die attitude and the fact that he is proven at the Derby distance of 1800 metres with three wins already to his credit, ill ensure that he will prove a worthy contender.
The hard luck story of the race was no doubt the Peter Leyshan trained Eclair Lightning who was drawn to get the run of the race off a good speed but ended up being shuffled back to third last.
He then failed to find clear running in the straight and after being under a hold for most of the last 250 metres did an amazing job when he found an opening late to run third.
Joe Lau’s Sacred Capital is a clear cut favorite for the Derby following his easy victories in the G2 Spring Trophy beating Pearl Green and the MJC Anniversary Cup where he beat Eclair Lightning.
Lau opted not run Sacred Capital in Saturday's Derby Trial with the next assignment for the son of O’Reilly likely to be the Macau Guineas over 1500m on May 25.
It will be a great contest. Sacred Capital will be the most favored but Eclair Lightning Eclair Lightning appears to be getting better with every run.
Japanese rider Shogo Nakano produced a superb ride to win on the K C Chong trained Wonder Holy in Saturday's Class 2 & 3 over 1800 metres.
Wonder Holy was one of only two expected leaders in the nine horse field but the other Bring Me Glory blew his chances by leaping in the air at the start. Nakano took full advantage of the soft lead and rated the son of Holy Roman Emperor to perfection on the lead.
With no real pressure applied in the run Nakano was able to sit as quite as a mouse until the top of the straight, and only really got to work the last two hundred metres to dart away for a nice win.
The 7YO beat Bring Me Glory who ran on well from the back under Luis Corrales for a length and a quarter second, with Roaring Star (Oscar Chavez) close up in third.
The $1.6 favorite Sportmanship ended up with a nightmare run under Ruan Maia. After beginning well the gelding was posted three and four deep the trip overacing, and did a fine job to run as close as he did in sixth only beaten one and a half lengths.
