Bundle Award charged into HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) calculations with a brilliant victory at Sha Tin on Sunday (March 9) to fan hopes of a fourth Classic triumph for champion trainer John Size.
Ridden perfectly by Ben Thompson, the 75-rating Shamus Award gelding (115lb) charged from last at the 400m in a searing 22.11s to down Markwin (115lb) and Helene Feeling (135lb) to enhance claims of clinching a place in the BMW Hong Kong Derby on March 23.
“It felt as good as it would have looked,” Thompson said of the gelding’s blistering finish. “I was confident he would let rip when it was time to go. He was super. He’s handled by a master in John Size. He’s versatile. He’s a lovely horse.”
Size, who saddled Fay Fay (2012), Luger (2015) and Ping Hai Star (2018) to Hong Kong Derby victory, said: “He (Bundle Award) did very well. He seems to settle and relax and didn’t seem to waste any energy. He had plenty of resources left for the finish.”
Fifth behind Sky Heart over 1600m after drawing barrier one at his previous start, Bundle Award – who won three times in Australia for Jason & Allan Williams as Prince Prawn – appreciated being dropped to the tail of the field today before Thompson drove the gelding out to the middle of the track and unleashed a devastating sprint.
“You couldn’t compare the two days (today and last start). I think that he drew well last start – he drew gate one. Maybe that was no help to him. Anyway, today he showed us what he wanted,” Size said.
The Hong Kong Derby field selection will be announced on Friday with the field likely to be headed Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) winner Rubylot and Hong Kong Classic Mile victor (1600m) and My Wish. The 76-rating Markwin – a two-time winner in Hong Kong – also boosted claims of a possible Hong Kong Derby berth a 1.25 lengths behind Bundle Award.
Bundle Award’s success continued a see-sawing battle for the Hong Kong trainers’ championship, shunting Size back into the lead after David Hayes had snatched back the ascendancy with first-starter Akashvani’s win under Lyle Hewitson.
Size and Hayes both have 37 wins but 12-time champion trainer Size has more second placings.
“He (Akashvani) did a good job from a wide gate (barrier 12) and my sons (Ben, Will & JD) educated him very well from Lindsay Park (in Australia). He came in and I just had to get him here,” Hayes said.
“He’s actually got a low head carriage action like Rubylot. He reminds me of a young Rubylot, so let’s hope he ends up as good as Rubylot – not saying he will be, but his action is very similar to Rubylot.”
Hewitson also partnered Mark Newnham’s Armour War Eagle to victory. A dual winner in New Zealand, the War Decree gelding had racked up five minor placings in 12 starts before today’s breakthrough.
Apprentice Britney Wong moved to the top of the Hong Kong jockeys’ All Weather Track standings with a double, striking aboard on Natural High for David Hall and Manfred Man’s Self Improvement.
With 12 wins in total in her first season, Wong has notched seven of those victories on dirt to lead Luke Ferraris (five) in her first season in Hong Kong after riding 50 winners in Australia.
“It’s great. I had two doubles when I was in Australia but they were both non-TAB meetings, so this feels fantastic,” Wong, 25, said. “Whether it’s turf or dirt, I’ll go for it and it’s good that I have one (surface) that works in a particular way, so I’m very happy.”
Man also posted a double when Super Seth three-year-old Patch Of Cosmo downed downing Embraces and Hong Kong Derby hopeful Light Years Charm.
Luke Ferraris slotted his 30th winner of the season and maintained his perfect record on Lucky With You when the consistent seven-year-old overpowered his rivals for Frankie Lor.
“He’s a lovely horse, obviously when he gets up to Group 1 level, it’s a bit tough for him but he’s definitely a Class 1 horse,” Ferraris said. “He was in great shape today, Frankie had him going good and it was a very easy win.
“I sat back on him, pulled him out at the 400m and coasted up to them at the furlong (200m), let him go and put them to bed.”
David Eustace scored with Regency Happy Star under Alexis Badel before Chris So combined with Keith Yeung with three-year-old Mount Everest.
The Exceed And Excel debutant lunged to claim a first-start victory over Patch Of Time before Caspar Fownes-trained Flying Luck notched his second win of the campaign with a withering finish for Brenton Avdulla.
Yeung completed a double when The Auspicious clinched the Class 4 Lok Sin Tong Cup Handicap (1400m) at odds of +13100 to give Me Tsui his ninth win of the season.
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