Michael Cox reviews the Sha Tin meeting on October 12 with his horse to follow, ride of the day and training performance of the day.
Horse to follow
Jubilant Winner
Jubilant Winner returns to scale (Sing Tao)
Andrea Atzeni/Jamie Richards 1st, Race 2, Kwok Shui Handicap, Class 4, 1,200m
When a 1.2 favorite grinds to a narrow win in Class 4 with 132 pounds, it doesn’t usually qualify as a horse to follow – but Jubilant Winner had factors to overcome.
Leader Incredible Moment looked to have the race under control but jockey Andrea Atzeni stalked throughout, setting his sights on the leader’s back and Jubilant Winner showed great tenacity late to get up in the Kwok Shui Handicap (Class 4, 1,200m). The victory continued Jamie Richards’ strong start to the season – he has seven wins already, four of them courtesy of Bulb General and Jubilant Winner.
Also likely to have strong support next start is David Hall’s Mr Energia, who scored with plenty in hand on the dirt in the Shek Wai Kok Handicap (Class 3, 1,200m AWT).
Best training performance
Tony Cruz
Tony Cruz with Good Luck Babe's owner Chen Ching-lung (Sing Tao)
The first 10 meetings of the season have reminded everyone that Tony Cruz still has it.
The living legend’s double gives him nine winners so far, putting him in a three-way tie for second in the championship.
After He Was You won the opener – the Chai Wan Kok Handicap (Class 5, 1,200 meters) – in typical Cruz fashion, running his rivals ragged from the front, Good Luck Babe scrambled home in a blanket finish in the Sha Tsui Handicap (Class 4, 1,400m).
Good Luck Babe joined Cruz after winning one from 12 for David Eustace last season.
Sometimes Cruz’s race placement can be unconventional, and so it was here. After resuming unplaced over 1,650m at Happy Valley, Good Luck Babe was an agonizing second on the dirt over 1,200m before breaking through third-up on the turf over 1,400m.
Ride of the day
Lyle Hewitson threads through a needle-eye gap on Bull Attitude (Sing Tao)
Lyle Hewitson’s double took him to six wins for the season, and it was the paint-scraping ride aboard his second winner, Bull Attitude, that really caught the eye.
It wasn’t just the late heroics when Hewitson threaded through a needle-eye gap, but earlier in the race when he showed a calm mind and soft hands to settle midfield.
With leaders and on-pace runners dominating, Hewitson must have been tempted to push along and stay closer to the lead in the 1,600-meter Sham Tseng Handicap (Class 4).
The South African focused on rhythm and flow and showed great judgment of pace, then more patience in the straight when a gap didn’t immediately open. Hewitson was brave to take the inside run, holding his ground when Happy Universe veered in late and made contact.
