Jack Dawling takes selects horse to follow, best ride and top training performance from the National Day Raceday at Sha Tin.
Invincible Ibis confirmed the promise he had shown on his first three runs with a powerful display to win despite drawing barrier 14, which Zac Purton actually said may have benefitted the four-year-old.
“He has always shown a bit but he just hasn’t had things go right for him in races – but he isn’t an easy horse – he is very shy and lacks a lot of confidence, so today drawing 14 was actually helpful,” Purton told The Standard.
Invincible Ibis was given a confident steer by the eight-time champion jockey, held up in the rear of the field before unleashing a smart turn of foot down the outside of the field to prevail by two lengths.
“I rode him in a barrier trial and I got inside one horse and he wouldn’t go one bit – so there was only one way to go today and that was outside, outside, outside,” Purton added.
Frankie Lor Fu-chuen was as shocked as most punters when Healthy Happy continued to gallop his way to a sixth win in Hong Kong at the grand old age of nine.
The veteran galloper, making his 44th appearance for the yard, hit the front early under Jerry Chau Chun-lok and was not for catching, fending off a host of late challengers.
While Lor admitted he was surprised to see Healthy Happy back in the winner’s enclosure, the trainer said he had kept his nine-year-old in good condition.
“I’m surprised,” Lor told The Standard. “But he is a great horse and so honest.”
The 22.15 shot held firm to deny the fast-finishing Steps Ahead, who was well backed into favoritism moments before the off, and the third-placed Hong Lok Golf.
Andrea Atzeni returned to the winner’s enclosure thanks to two superb rides with his steer aboard Sunny Q just pipping Kempes for ride of the day.
The jockey, who will ride in Saturday’s meeting at Sha Tin before potentially flying over to France to ride Giavellotto in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, got his meeting off the mark when he weaved a passage aboard Sunny Q in the fourth race of the day, a Class 4 over 1,200 meters.
After settling in midfield from gate seven, Atzeni attempted to switch outside 400m from home before opting to dive inside. Still searching for room 200m from home, he switched right once more to find clear running.
