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Training Performance of the Day - David Eustace
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David Eustace landed his first big-race success since taking out a Hong Kong trainer’s license when Light Years Charm got his nose down in a three-way finish to the Group 3 Lion Rock Trophy.
Light Years Charm drifted from 27-1 to 42-1 on the win line, but "green lamped” for a place at 4.7, and Jerry Chau Chun-lok gave him every chance from barrier one. The in-form local jockey saved every inch of ground in the run and drove him through to hit the front near the 200m mark before holding on by a short head.
Eustace could not hide his smile afterwards, shaking hands with assistant trainer Cash Lee and his stable staff as Light Years Charm returned to the winner’s enclosure for the first time since November last year.
“It means a lot,” Eustace said. “Group races in Hong Kong are probably like winning Group Ones anywhere else. They’re hard to win and there aren’t many of them.
“He’s been a great horse for the stable, working through the grades really well, and we always felt the mile would suit him.”
Ride of the Day - Jimmy Orman, Joyful Joy
Jimmy Orman turned early-morning Conghua trial work into race-day reward when Joyful Joy landed a 53-1 debut win for Mark Newnham in the eighth race.
Orman settled the three-year-old settled eighth on the rail and stayed patient as the field swung for home. He initially looked for a run wider out, but quickly switched back towards the inside, saved all the ground and drove Joyful Joy through before the debutant responded strongly to win by a length and a half.
Newnham said he expected Joyful Joy to run well, although the win still came as a surprise.
“His trial at Happy Valley against two Class 3 horses who both came out and ran very well was good,” Newnham said. “His next trial on the all-weather, I just don’t think he handled the surface.”
The trainer was quick to credit Orman’s work behind the scenes.
“Jimmy is working very hard and the reason he got on the horse is because he was there to ride him in a Conghua trial, and he’s been rewarded today.”
Horse to Follow - Ka Ying Lightning
David Hall expects better things from Ka Ying Lightning after the youngster overcame an imperfect trial profile to win on debut up the 1,000-meter straight at Sha Tin.
Hall gave the three-year-old eight trials before sending him to the races, but Ka Ying Lightning did plenty wrong along the way. He missed the start in some trials, over-raced in others and never quite put everything together, although Hall said the above-average ability was still there in his work.
“His trials have been all over the place as far as missing the start and pulling,” Hall said. “He just didn’t get one trial where he got it all right. His bad luck at the start today pushed him into a good spot, he didn’t over-race, got into his rhythm, and he could show his racing talent.”
Ka Ying Lightning was not the quickest away and was then bumped heavily by Storm Mirror, but Hall felt the early trouble helped rather than hurt.
“Sometimes your bad luck at the start turns into good luck,” Hall said. "Horse racing is a funny game sometimes and, as I said, he still missed the start, he got the bump that put him into the right spot, and we got rewarded!"
