Treble puts Size one ahead of Lor
HONG KONG • Four days after becoming only the second trainer in Hong Kong history to saddle 1,400 winners, John Size regained the lead in the 2021/22 trainers’ championship from Frankie Lor with a treble at a drenched Sha Tin yesterday afternoon.
Bidding for a record 12th title, Size prepared the last three winners on the card – Toronado Phantom (Zac Purton), Escape Route (Karis Teetan) and Brilliant Way (Alexis Badel) – to lead his former assistant Lor 73-72.
“It’s not a very comfortable lead, I’d have to say, and we’ve still got 17 meetings to go,” said Size, who is the only horseman along with John Moore (1,735 wins) to post 1,400 winners or more in Hong Kong.
“Frankie is doing a very good job, as I would always expect him to do when he got in this position. He’s going to try very hard to secure the championship, I’m sure.
“A bit similar to the last time I had a treble here, the track conditions (good to yielding) played in my favour.
“The horses were suited by the ground, they got in a position where they could win from and, like everything else in racing, you need a bit of luck and they got their good fortune and they were able to win.”
Purton cut Joao Moreira’s lead to four in the jockeys’ championship – 115-111 – when Toronado Phantom prevailed in the Class 3 Cumberland Handicap over 1,200m on dirt to underline his growing versatility.
Sporting pacifiers, the grey landed his fourth win in Hong Kong, adding to his two dirt track successes at Happy Valley and another on Sha Tin’s turf surface.
Size added to his haul when Escape Route stormed down the outside rails under Teetan to clinch the Class 3 Devon Handicap over 1,400m.
Following the adventurous example set by Blake Shinn early in the programme, Badel piloted Brilliant Way down the grandstand side to cement Size’s three-timer with a gritty win in the Class 3 Cornwall Handicap over 1,200m. - HKJC
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