A $3.7m blessing in disguise for Southern Legend
It sure was a super blessing in disguise for Southern Legend, whose "three-peat" bid at Singapore's richest race - the $1.5 million Kranji Mile - was aborted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Knowing that next month's Kranji Mile is unlikely to go ahead with Singapore's circuit breaker measures, trainer Caspar Fownes executed Plan B and was yesterday rewarded with the HK$20 million (S$3.7 million) Group 1 FWD Champions Mile over 1,600m at Sha Tin.
Superbly handled by top local jockey Vincent Ho, Southern Legend moved up from slightly worse than midfield to switch out for an unimpeded run.
Just after two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year and world top-miler Beauty Generation overtook the leader Ka Ying Star shortly after straightening, Ho took his 10-1 shot alongside the 1.6 favourite Beauty Generation. The pair then fought a titanic battle to the post, with Southern Legend prevailing by just a short head.
"It was exciting, you know. Like anything at that level, you always need some luck - the photo went our way. But the horse is tough and he deserved that," said Fownes.
Fownes had wanted to follow last year's plan of keeping the Boniface Ho-owned Southern Legend fresh for the Kranji Mile.
But he had to make unscheduled assignments in the Group 2 Chairman's Trophy on April 5 and yesterday's Champions Mile over the same 1,600m trip.
Southern Legend finished third to Beauty Generation in the Chairman's Trophy.
Yesterday's FWD Champions Day saw two other Group 1 features staged behind closed doors at Sha Tin.
Former dual Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Mr Stunning scored at 21-1 in the HK$18 million Chairman's Sprint Prize over 1,200m. He beat 29-1 outsider Big Time Baby by three-quarter lengths
The winner was trained by Frankie Lor and ridden by Mauritian jockey Karis Teetan.
Trainer Tony Cruz's Champion Stayer and Champion Middle-Distance Horse Exultant went one better in the HK$25 million FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2,000m under Zac Purton. He beat his stablemate Furore by three parts of a length.
Cruz had declared Exultant an unlucky second last year, when he was beaten by Japan's Win Bright.
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