Hayes savors lucky Sunday as Storm Rider goes from reserve to narrow winner

He may be riding the crest of a wave after a stellar start to the season, but even David Hayes couldn’t believe his luck when Storm Rider managed to fend off Colourful King in yesterday’s Class 2 feature at Happy Valley.

Storm Rider, who narrowly prevailed under Karis Teetan after a late surge of money saw him jump as the 2.95 favorite, was initially going to miss out on a run in the 1,200-meter contest until a scratching on Saturday morning saw him promoted from first reserve.

“You know you’re having a good run when that happens,” Hayes beamed after the race. 

Hayes has already tasted Group 1 success in The Everest with Ka Ying Rising and Group 2 success with Tomodachi Kokorore at Sha Tin this season, but Storm Rider’s first Class 2 win at Happy Valley gave the trainer almost the same level of satisfaction after the sprinter went agonizingly close down in grade last month.

On that occasion, the Australian-bred gelding flew home at the city track over the same distance but ultimately failed to reel in King Miles in Class 3 company.

“He got beaten a shorthead last time out and he ran the best [final] sectional of the day,” Hayes said. “I think he’ll be able to hold his own in this class and maybe he’ll be even better up at 1,400m.”

When asked about his remarkable success with sprinters this term – Harmony N Blessed also won for the trainer over 1,000m yesterday – Hayes grinned from cheek to cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold a clinic on Monday,” he laughed.

Storm Rider’s fourth career win came after a late plunge saw his price slashed from 5.5 into 2.95 in the last few minutes of betting. 

Teetan jumped from stall one and tracked the quick early pace set by the usual front-runner, Youthful Spirits. 
Having peeled to the leader’s outside and taken over 200m from home, Teetan continued to urge his mount for home as the David Eustace-trained Colourful King loomed ominously upsides.

But despite Andrea Atzeni’s best efforts aboard Eustace’s four-year-old, Teetan just did enough to prevail by a neck, with Aurora Lady beaten one-and-a-quarter lengths in third.

“Barriers win races and he drew the beautiful barrier, as Harmony N Blessed did earlier,” Hayes said after the contest.

Storm Rider’s win also provided Teetan with his 300th success at the city track. 

While punters were shouting in celebration as Storm Rider battled to victory at Happy Valley’s only daytime meeting of the season, there was stunned silence 30 minutes later as 51.4 shot I Can sprung a shock in the finale under Luke Ferraris.

The six-year-old was on the receiving end of a quality ride in the 1,650m Class 3 contest from Ferraris, who covered a mid-race move from Vincent Ho Chak-yiu to build momentum from the rear of the field and finish off best of all.

“Luke did a really good job because it was a tricky race,” trainer Pierre Ng Pang-chi said. 

“He kept his momentum going and it’s nice to be going home with something. It all depends on the circumstances for this horse and we got a bit of luck today and a great ride.”