3 minute read
Irish bred four-year-old City Gold has emerged as the Derby favorite after a sterling victory in Sunday’s Macau Guineas (1500m), giving Stanley Chin his first Group 1 victory as a trainer.
Ridden by Japanese rider Masa Tanaka, City Gold after traveling in a midfield position in the run, unleashed a powerful finishing burst over the final two hundred metres to win by a neck, over the Derby Trial winner Hostwin Achilles (J B Hamel), with Circuit Miles (Luis Corrales) in third.
City Gold was having only his second start on the turf after winning four straight on the all-weather in brilliant fashion, and continues what has been a remarkable story for a horse that was purchased purely by chance.
"Yes, he has been a real surprise horse, and it was only by chance I bought him."
"I was at Stuart Williams stables in Newmarket looking over some horses that I was interested in. He suggested I take a look at this gelding by Outstrip (GB) that was unraced, but to use his words, he has worked well alongside some of my good horses." Chin said.
"I liked the look of him and took the chance, and now I've got a Group 1 winner and top Derby contender. This season he has gone from a rating of 35 and after today he will be around 95. He is also the first horse I've had to win seven races in a season, so that is extra special."
Chin saddled up four runners in Sunday's race, the others being the Group 1 performed Australian mare Beauty Bolt (4th), City Gold Income (8th) and Cherry Road who finished last.
"Beauty Bolt whilst on paper her Australian form says she handles soft and heavy ground, is not really happy on it, her two runs in Macau on the wet have shown me that. But she was still running on well late and only beaten two and quarter lengths. She will love the 1800 metres of the Derby, and if we get a good track, she will be the one to beat."
"I am very lucky in that I have two hands going for the Derby. City Gold will be even better I feel at 1800, and if its wet again on today's win he will run favorite. If it's a good track then I have Beauty Bolt."
"Of my other two runners Cherry Road is no good on wet ground, and City Gold Income does not have the class."
Chin is a former Champion Hong Kong Apprentice that rode successfully in 15 countries around the world. He has had numerous Group and Listed winners, with 12 Group 1 victories to his credit as a jockey. Sunday's win was his second Group victory as a trainer, the other being with Sheng Li Superstar in the Group 3 Spring Trophy last season.
From a Derby view point nothing could have been more impressive on the day, then the Patrick Lee trained Partners Fortune in the Class 2 over 1500 metres, under Brazilian jockey Fausto Henrique.
Partners Fortune a four-year-old son of Better Than Ready (Aus), was eligible to run in the Guineas the race prior, and had in fact ran a super race in the Derby Trial over 1500 metres on May 29. After having no luck from gate nine, the gelding ended up four and five deep the trip and being the widest runner throughout, eventually running in eighth spot, but only beaten four and three quarters of a length.
On Sunday it was a different story, from barrier two the gelding got the run of the race under Henrique third the rails, before peeling off the back of the leader Electroplate Alloy in the straight, to race away for a good win over Luen On Poseidon (Luis Corrales), with Qian Gua (Breinell Yamzon) in third. However, the real highlight of the win was the time of 1.31.2, a whole one second quicker than the Guineas taken out by City Gold.
Partners' Fortune was still strong at the line, and on breeding the 1800 metres of the Deby is not out of his reach. His dam Bright Planet is by Manhattan Rain who was placed second in the Cox Plate behind the great So You Think.
Sunday's track was rated heavy after a week of heavy rain with Partners Fortune handling it well; that said he is no doubt better on top of the ground with four of his wins prior on firm ground, one of which he clocked a slick 1.08.7 when winning in Class 4, a time that was .07 faster then the Class 2 on the day.
As it is connections would have been left lamenting on what might have been after Sunday's impressive win; but at least they have the Derby on July 25 to look forward too.
Partners Fortune was an A $68,000 buy from the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sales by part owner Mr. Cheng Wing Bor, who races the gelding with Mr. Chan Ho Man.
Allen Tam's marvelous old sand galloperFasuba returned to the winner's circle on Friday night, with brilliant win in the Class 1 & 2 over 1350 metres under Frenchman J B Hamel.
Fasuba a seven-year-old, made it win number 10 in Macau when he lowered the colors of the much younger four-year-old Golden Conqueror (Roger Yu), to draw away over the concluding stages and win by a length and a quarter, with Top Mountainlegend (Masa Tanaka) a short head away in third.
Fasuba at one time was Macau's fastest horse on the sand racking up multiple wins on the trot, before age and some knee issues began to take their toll. However, on Sunday it was the Fasuba of old, sitting off the current sand champ Golden Conqueror (nine wins) in the run, before pouncing on him in the straight and after a short tussle raced away win handsomely.
Tam then wasted no time in winning the next race the Class 3, with Fasuba's full brother Harvest Year, who showed good speed and plenty of stamina to race way for an impressive win under Filipino rider Breinell Yamzon.
Harvest Year is a four-year-old, and whilst he does not have the dazzling speed that Fasuba had at the same age, he has done a fine job in Macau winning four races and placing a further six times from his 16 runs.
Both Fasuba and Harvest Year are by Power (GB) from the Orpen mare Varmint Lady and are both raced by Mr Char On Man.
The Peter Leyshan prepared Show Down picked up a well-deserved win in the last of the day on Sunday, the Class 4 over 1500 metres to give Masa Tanaka a double for the afternoon.
The former New Zealander came hard late to just snatch victory right on the line by a nose from Geoff Allendorf's Global Justice (Eric Cheung), with Pearl Lucky (Shogo Nakano) flying home from the tail of the field for third.
Show Down won two races in NZ before arriving in Macau, and according to Leyshan will be a better horse next season.
"I got both Show Down and Guillocharm together; they are both nice horses that will do the job here, but are not yet fully climatized.
"That was a nice win today Show Down, and I'm really looking for to next season with both horses."
The win capped off a nice weekend for Leyshan, with his rising 11-year-old Ashkari also scoring a last stride win in the Class 4 & 5 over 1510 metres on Friday night.
Ridden by Luis Corrales, Ashkari got up in the nick of time to beat four-year-old Ventures Elite (Masa Tanaka) by short head, to give the Irish import seven wins in the enclave, with another 11-year-old Off The Bench (Peter Lao) running in third.
