Cruz hoping for stable trifecta in Champions & Chater Cup
Last-start Gr.1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup winner
Pakistan Star is likely to start a heavy favourite for the Gr.1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin, but while he may carry the weight of public expectation, his trainer Tony Cruz says that the
Shamardal five-year-old may not even be the stable’s number one seed for the HK$10 million feature.
“All three of my horses have very strong chances, but to me,
Exultant is the one,” Cruz said at Sha Tin. “He’s the one who has won big over 2400m, whereas Pakistan Star hasn’t been to the trip yet. I’m hoping I can finish 1-2-3, though.”
Group one-placed
Exultant won the Gr.3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m) last time out with subsequent winner
Prawn Baba six lengths astern. Gold Mount, second to Pakistan Star in the QEII Cup, makes up Cruz’s talented trio.
Exultant entered the Four-Year-Old Classic Series as one of the leading seeds. He ran well in each of the three legs – fourth in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, second in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and third in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) – but he showed a new lease of life when stepping up to the mile and a half for the first time last start.
That day, jockey Zac Purton made a daring mid-race move, whipping around the field to take up the running passing the 1200m. It showed a level of race sense that the Irish import had yet to demonstrate in Hong Kong, and Cruz believes that the galloper – formerly named Irishcorrespondent – may now be able to make all if circumstances permit.
Brett Prebble, who had his first raceday ride on Exultant two starts back when the Teofilo four-year-old finished second in a Class 2 over 2200m, takes the mount on Sunday.
Gold Mount returns to the Sha Tin 2400m for the fourth time in his career. He finished third in the Queen Mother Memorial Cup last term before finishing fifth in both this race last year as well as December’s Gr.1 Hong Kong Vase.
Alberto Sanna, who rode the Excellent Art five-year-old to victory in the Class 1 Happy Valley Vase Handicap (1800m) two starts ago before again partnering the bay last start, will be legged aboard on Sunday.
Credit: Ritesh Jamkhedkar Ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com