Horse to Follow - Jedi Spurs
David Hayes expected Jedi Spurs to make a statement on debut and the two-year-old delivered exactly that in the Griffin race over 1,000 meters.
After showing plenty at the trials, Jedi Spurs made an immediate impression under Brenton Avdulla, leading before quickening clear to win by four and a half lengths in a slick 55.81 seconds.
“The only thing is that he was underdone,” Hayes said. “He only had two trials and it was a bit of a rushed preparation.
“He was probably more impressive today because Brenton gave him a little slap to learn. Everything he has done up until today has been easy in his life.
“To run that time in these conditions, he might be very good. You couldn’t debut any better than that. The opposition might not have been super, but the time was there and the margin he won by excites me.”
Hayes is already looking forward to seeing what Jedi Spurs can do when he steps up to 1,200m in a couple of weeks.
Training Performance of the Day - Brett Crawford, PI Legend
The change of tactics with PI Legend was there for all to see in his trial, and it paid off immediately as Brett Crawford found another winner from a stable transfer.
PI Legend raced midfield by Karis Teetan before finishing strongly to win the Class 3 over 1,200 meters on the all-weather, giving the first-season trainer his 22nd winner and earning his owners a HK$1.5 million Private Purchase Bonus.
“Obviously today we rode him the same way we trialed him,” Crawford said. “We gave him a chance in the trial and he finished super strong, so it was always the plan today.
“At one point, I wasn’t sure we would be able to get to the second horse because he looked like he had stolen a march, but credit to our horse. It was a gutsy win.”
Crawford said Pi Legend’s first start for the stable suggested there was more to come, with the Australian import showing him enough versatility to be effective on turf as well as the all-weather, but no next target has been locked in yet.
Ride of the Day - Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu, Soleil Fighter
David Hayes was full of praise for Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu after she guided Soleil Fighter to his first Sha Tin victory in the Class 2 contest over 1,600 meters.
Yuen took the six-year-old straight to the front and kept him rolling, adding a Sha Tin win at his twelfth time of asking to his strong Happy Valley record.
“Hugh made a bit of a technical mistake last start. He didn’t let the horse run and the horse hated it,” Hayes said. “I asked Nichola to let the horse run today and she did a very good job.
“This is a good horse. He’s a Happy Valley champion and now he’s winning at Sha Tin — I wish I had 10 of them.
“If he ran poorly today, he was going for a holiday. But I think I will give him one more because he’s in good form, and I’ll leave Nichola on. Maybe she can do it again.”
Hayes said Soleil Fighter will now be aimed at the Class 1 mile for horses rated 85 and above at the final Sha Tin meeting on July 12.
