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Tony Cruz and Matthew Chadwick combine to win Chinese New Year Cup

Tony Cruz maintains Beauty Smile (Free Eagle) is still a work in progress after the Irish import's dominant performance to claim the Class 1 Chinese New Year Cup Handicap (1400m) with the Irish-bred four-year-old impressively eclipsing older and more accomplished opposition.

Contesting only his ninth start in Hong Kong, the chestnut was given a superb ride by Cruz's former apprentice Matthew Chadwick to effortlessly bridge the rise from Class 2 company and extend his winning streak to two.

A Listed winner over 1400 metres as a two-year-old when he raced as Justifier for Ger Lyons in Ireland, Beauty Smile took seven starts to break through in Hong Kong but, after a sizzling Class 2 win over 1400 metres at Sha Tin on 31 January, Cruz was full of optimism pre-race.

"We came with a lot of confidence, just stepping up (in class) and all that," he said.

"We were very confident. I thought it would be a stable quinella. I'm very disappointed with the other horse (California Rad, who finished seventh) - maybe there was something I missed with him.

"But I was also very confident with Beauty Smile."

Cruz, who remains in contention for the trainers' championship after moving to equal fourth with his 34th winner behind Caspar Fownes (43), had a simple explanation for Beauty Smile's (113lb) emphatic success.

"He's in good form - his run last time, he ran 1:21.09 (for 1400 metres). He's going well," Cruz said after Sunday's defeat of Star Shine (Magic Albert) and Fast Most Furious (Lope De Vega).

"There's another run in March over 1400 metres, he's eligible for that - I think I might go that way."

Cruz praised Chadwick's measured ride.

"He rode a perfect race, he's riding with confidence now, especially on this horse now," said Cruz, who previously won the Chinese New Year Cup with in 2013 with Penglai Xianzi (Encosta De Lago).

Chadwick finished with a double after piloting New Zealand-bred Trust Me (Guillotine) to success in the Class 3 Good Fortune Handicap (1200m) for Dennis Yip.

Acknowledging record turnover on the meeting of HK$1.843 billion, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Chief Executive Officer Mr Winfried Englebrecht-Bresges said: "I think it's always good to have a good start into the New Year and today the record turnover is something which was far beyond what we could expect.

"I think it's a wonderful, great start into the New Year and hopefully with the reduction of the number of positive COVID-19 cases that can, in a way, have more fans coming because the only thing we missed today was our racing fans and that's, in a way.

"We would like to thank them for the tremendous support they showed and hopefully we can really welcome them back here at the track - so I'm optimistic for the Year of the Ox – we are strong, we are persistent and we standing for excellence and success."