3 minute read
Japanese rider Masakazu (Massa) Tanaka opened his Macau account with a perfect ride on the Geoff Allendorf trained Luen On Success in Saturday’s Class 4 Handicap over 1200 metres.
Tanaka put Luen On Success into a great spot from barrier seven to be in sixth spot the rail in a race run at good speed. Locked away at the top of the straight Tanaka waited patiently until he found an opening between to Chapman Way and Chappo to burst through to hit the lead close to the line.
Race favorite Californiatreasure (Breinell Yamzon) who also had trouble finding clear running was powering to the line late, however Luen On Success was able to scramble over the line with a neck to spare. Chappo (Shogo Nakano) was three quarters of a length away in third.
It was win number two for Luen On Success who is the first of the Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) breed to race in Macau. The run time for Saturday's race of 1.09 compared well with the Class 2 (1.08.9) on the good track. The win took Geoff Allendorf to 21 winners for the season and a clear second to premiership leader Tony Fung who is on 28.
Massa Tanaka is a much traveled jockey that actually did his apprenticeship in Queensland before plying his trade elsewhere.
"I actually did my apprentice training at the Racing Academy at Deagon in Australia. Mel Schumacher and Pam O'Neill were two of my teachers. It was a great experience for me." Tanaka said.
"After that I went to New Zealand where I spent many years, first as an apprentice and then a senior rider. I rode one Group 1 winner there on Booming in the Thorndon Mile. I also rode a few Group 3 winners as well."
After New Zealand Tanaka rode successfully for four years in Korea winning over 150 races before making the move to Macau In January.
Whilst Saturday was Tanaka's first winner after 31 rides in the enclave, his efforts have been a lot better than the stats read; having made the quinella five times in close goes and managed three other minor placings.
One of the hardest working jockeys at the track in the morning Tanaka now that he has broken the ice should see more opportunities come his way.
Rock To Road proved that his win over the previously unbeaten Golden Conqueror on the sand a fortnight back was no fluke, with a strong win in Saturday's Class 2 over 1200 metres on the turf.
Ridden by Breinell Yamzon Rock To Road was flat footed at the jump before recovering into a good spot off the speed, and then had to check off the heels of race favorite You Are The Best at the eight hundred putting him a lot further back in the run than anticipated. Once in the straight the son of Stryker (Aus) was still locked away with nowhere to go until the final 100 metres when he powered through a gap to hit the front right on the line to win by a neck from Bow Noculars (Fausto Henrique), with Gem Glory (Stephane Ladjadj) close up in third.
A former Chris Waller galloper that raced in Australia as Beidi, Rock To Road pulled off the upset of the season when at odds of $2190.50 for the win, he bought Golden Conquerors unbeaten record of four straight wins on the all weather to an end.
Prepared by Ricky Choi, Rock To Road is going to give his owner Mr. Mok Shing Fung plenty of joy in the coming months on either sand or turf where his winning times have been first rate.
