Chemistry key as Jerry Chau sparks Lucky Sam Gor to keep 'Derby dream' alive

Trainer Mark Newnham says the "Derby dream" is alive for Lucky Sam Gor after another powerful performance on the Classic Mile undercard at Sha Tin, with the four-year-old's chemistry with jockey Jerry Chau Chun-lok now a defining asset.

Chau is three-from-three on Lucky Sam Gor and Newnham believes the partnership will matter even more as the gelding steps up in distance.

"He just relaxes for him and chemistry between horse and rider matters – especially as we start stepping him up more in distance," Newnham said.

Lucky Sam Gor's latest win was his fourth of the season and his first at 1600 meters, a key box ticked on the Derby pathway. Newnham said the gelding settled, switched off and still showed the turn of foot required to win four-year-old races run at a stop-start tempo.

"Jerry rides this horse very well. He gets on very well with him, so I was pleased to be able to put him back on," Newnham said.

Newnham is now hoping the performance earns Lucky Sam Gor enough points to push into the Classic Cup picture, keeping the syndicate's big-race ambition on track.

"He has been a really good horse for us this season, that is his fourth win, and it's the syndicate's dream to make the Derby," he said. "He will get enough points now to step up again and maybe he makes the Classic Cup, and if he does we will run him there."

Trainer David Eustace is less hopeful of making the Classic Cup cut with Seraph Gabriel, who finished an encouraging second but may only rise to a rating of 79 — likely not enough. Eustace said he won't risk a Classic Cup entry unless he's confident the horse can get in, and may target another race to protect Seraph Gabriel's best path to the Derby.

In the following race, Super Express continued his comeback after more than six months away earlier in the season.

"He wasn't correct when he came back from that break so we had to give him some more time off," trainer John Size said. "To his credit he came back into training solid and sound. He has a little bit to learn – he needs more experience to finish his races off."

Asked about Derby ambitions, Size was measured.

"He hasn't got that sort of quality at the moment," he said, while noting the depth of this year's four-year-old crop. "That was a very good group of horses in the Classic Mile today."