Junko leads foreign staying raiders; Lucky Sweynesse heads HK quintet
Junko leads foreign staying raiders; Lucky Sweynesse heads HK quintet
HONG KONG - French-trained Junko, a last-start winner of the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern (2,400m), came from last to make it an all-foreign affair in the HK$24 million (S$4.1 million) Group 1 LonginesHong Kong Vase over the same gruellingtrip at Sha Tin on Dec 10.
Senor Toba finished fifth, the best of the home-team trio.
Just a race later, last season’s Champion Sprinter and Champion Four-Year-Old Lucky Sweynesse led home the first five from Hong Kong in the HK$26 million Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m).
Highfield Princess, from the United Kingdom, was sixth, the best of the four foreign raiders.
Junko’s victory gave trainer Andre Fabre his third Vase, after Flintshire (2014) and Borgia (1999) and jockey Maxime Guyon his second. He was the rider of Flintshire.
Unlike his last-start, all-the-way victory on a soft track, the four-year-old (5.5-1) raced in the rear, as champion jockey Zac Purton led on Hong Kong’s La City Blanche.
Ireland’s Warm Heart overtook La City Blanche turning for home. Junko straightened up the widest but, under an aggressive ride by Guyon, hit the front 200m out to score by a length in 2min 30.12sec.
Japan’s Zeffiro beat Warm Heartfor second. Another Japanese runner, Geraldina, was fourth.
Guyon, a three-time French champion, said he was unsure if his mount liked the dry track because he prefers soft ground.
“But, today in Hong Kong, the ground was good. We had a good race. There weren’t many runners, so I wasn’t too far back just after the last turn, he has a good turn of foot,” he added.
In the Sprint, Lucky Sweynesse justified his 1.3 favouritism. He moved upfrom a handyfourth on the rails to score by 3/4 lengths in 1:09.25.
It was Purton’s third triumph. He had scoreda double with Aerovelocity in 2014 and 2016. For trainer Manfred Man, it was his first Sprint win.
Lucky With You finished second, followed by 2022 winner Wellington, Victor The Winner and Duke Wai.
Purton said he had the run inside Victor The Winner but, when James McDonald’s mount shifted in, it hampered him a bit.
“But he accelerated so quickly, I was able to come out across his heels, and he had his chance from there. He did what he had to do, I love him.”
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