Trainer Jimmy Ting Koon-ho paid tribute to the trust and loyalty of Blazing Beam’s owners after the gelding delivered him the 200th win of his training career in Wednesday night’s opening race at Happy Valley.
Blazing Beam had shown promise early in his career when finishing a long-priced third almost 12 months ago, but he struggled to build on that effort in the runs that followed.
A hind-leg injury and subsequent surgery cut short his campaign last season and it has taken four starts this term for Blazing Beam to finally break through – shocking punters at 41-1 in a Class 5 over 1,000 meters with Richard Kingscote aboard.
“Well, it was a surprise,” Ting said. “I came here with three runners tonight and I didn’t expect that result. It’s nice to get my 200th winner, but I didn’t think it would be this horse.”
Ting acknowledged the testing road owners Roger Chan Tse-man and Bosco Chan have endured, and said the win was a deserved reward for their patience.
“You have to say thanks for their support – it’s not easy when a horse shows ability like that and then is disappointing after that,” he said.
The milestone victory comes at a time when Ting’s stable is building much-needed momentum. Last Sunday, his emerging star Little Paradise surged home to win a Class 2 over 1,400 meters, stamping himself as a leading contender for the Hong Kong Classic Mile on February 1.
Champion rider Zac Purton partnered Little Paradise in that victory, but has since opted to ride Sagacious Life in the opening leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
Ting had already moved to secure an alternative and was pleased to lock in Vincent Ho Chak-yiu — a proven big-race jockey — for the full series.
“Vincent has won the race before and he’s a very good jockey,” Ting said. “I think he suits this horse’s style and should help him relax at a mile.”
Little Paradise will be Ting’s first ever Classic Mile runner.
