Horse to Follow – Secret Hedge
There was little in Secret Hedge's six trials to suggest he would win first-up, and punters were hardly convinced either as the John Size-trained three-year-old drifted from $25 to $34 ahead of Saturday's restricted Class 4 race at Sha Tin.
Matthew Chadwick gave him a lovely ride from barrier 14, settling midfield before easing out approaching the 400-meter mark, where Secret Hedge quickened nicely to win the 1,200-meter contest by a length.
The victory also ended an 18-ride losing streak for Size and Chadwick, whose previous winner together was Ping Hai Comet at Happy Valley on May 28 last year.
Size, however, was not surprised by the performance.
"He's been a beautiful horse at home," Size said. "I told Matthew this is a good horse. It was just a matter of getting him a spot and he'd probably finish the race off quite well.
"I'm extremely confident he's a good horse. He's always shown us plenty."
Training Performance of the Day – Pierre Ng Pang-chi
Pierre Ng Pang-chi's decision to keep Johannes Brahms to sprint distances paid off when the five-year-old ended a 636-day wait for a win in the Panasonic Cup, beating race favorite Megastar Heart.
Once considered a Derby prospect after finishing third behind My Wish and Rubylot in last year's Hong Kong Classic Cup, Johannes Brahms had gone unplaced in nine subsequent starts and bled from both nostrils in June.
Saturday was his third run back, and Ng believes the shorter distances have made life easier for the horse.
"I just thought he was more of a sprinter than a 1,400m or 1,600m horse. It's much easier for him to travel, so we don't have to drag him back,” Ng said. “If we run him further, we have to ride him more patiently, and it's just more stressful, I think.
“So at a shorter distance, he gets a smoother pace and finds it less stressful. That's what I think.”
Ride of the Day - Derek Leung Ka-chun
Derek Leung Ka-chun judged the rain-affected conditions at Sha Tin beautifully, producing a well-timed ride to score a $38 upset aboard Little Gut for Cody Mo Wai-kit.
From barrier 11, Leung settled the four-year-old newcomer midfield, outside race favorite Supreme Win Win after the first 300 meters. Rather than take an inside run on the inferior part of the track, he waited until approaching the 300-meter mark before switching widest in search of better ground.
Little Gut responded with an impressive turn of foot, hitting the front inside the final 50 meters to win by three-quarters of a length.
Leung felt the conditions suited his mount but believes there is more to come from the inexperienced youngster.
“The horse is still very green, but he has a nice action,” Leung said. “We liked him in his trials, and he has a good heart and tries hard.”
