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Frankie Lor will start Solid State over 1,000 meters on Sunday as he works to curb the four-year-old’s keenness before stretching him out on a possible Classic Series campaign.
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The return follows one of the most explosive Hong Kong debuts of last season, when Solid State ran his rivals into the ground by five and a quarter lengths at Sha Tin.
The former Australian galloper arrived in Hong Kong a seven-start maiden, having managed just one second while racing as United States for breeding giant Coolmore before being sold to Hong Kong interests and joining Lor. Gelding him brought an immediate turnaround.
His debut victory was the biggest winning margin by a Class 3 debutant in Hong Kong since 2015-16 and the biggest debut win by a Private Purchase in at least 20 years. The handicappers responded by raising him 12 points to a rating of 78, a rare jump matched in recent years by Regency Legend after his four-length Class 3 debut win in 2018.
Lor now wants to see whether Solid State can perform to that level without over-racing.
“I spoke to the jockey about this horse and he said maybe first-up, back to 1000 meters will suit because we’re just a little worried he can be too keen in his races,” Lor told The Standard. “And we trialled him at Conghua [over 1000 meters] and he trialled really well.”
Solid State sat off the speed in that trial before taking over late and drawing more than a length clear, something he had also shown in trials before his debut, and Lor now wants to see the same thing under race conditions.
“Sometimes I don’t want the horse to go to the front, go forward and lead. If he can learn to settle off the pace and then sprint home well, that’s what we’re trying to teach him.
“I know he didn’t win a race in Australia, but he didn’t need to lead there. He raced midfield and finished second at his first start.”
A rating of 78 already gives Lor reason to think about the Four-Year-Old Classic Series but whether Solid State can relax enough to get beyond sprint trips will decide how realistic that becomes.
“Of course, the Four-Year-Old Classic Series is something we can think about, but a lot will depend on how he races. If he can learn to relax, I think we can try. If not, it will be difficult.”
Lor has a similar issue to solve with Salon S, the stable’s other leading four-year-old.
Salon S returns the following Sunday after winning four of five starts last season and climbing from a rating of 52 to 85 and Lor will make a gear change in an attempt to take some of the edge off him.
“Salon S will run next Sunday in a Class 2 over 1200 meters and I’ll try a gear change with him,” he said. “He’ll wear a tongue tie.
“I hope that can make him more relaxed because sometimes he is too keen.”
So Lor begins the season with two highly rated four-year-olds and the same obstacle standing between them and longer races early next year: both need to learn to switch off.
“Right now, I’ve got two good horses to aim at the Classic Series, but both of them can get too keen. Stepping them up in distance is still a query, so we need to get them to relax first.”
