Daily News Wrap

7 min read

Beauty Generation breaks record

Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock) has once again lived up to his title with a sensational win in the G2 Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin.

His time of 1.32.64 for the 1600m breaks the track record held by Good Ba Ba (Lear Fan) for over ten years. The John Moore trained Beauty Generation now heads to the Longines Hong Kong Mile during the Hong Kong International Meeting to defend his 2017 title. Good Ba Ba took out the Hong Kong Mile three years in a row, while the Grahame Begg trained Monopolize is the only other multiple winner of the event to date.

Moore was effusive in his praise for Beauty Generation.

"People around the world are going to stand up and say there's a very good horse in Hong Kong.

"Breaking the track record and doing it like he did - that was like Able Friend. It was the charge of the light brigade early but Zac did the right thing," said Moore.

Beauty Generation was purchased for $60,000 by Kylie Bax’s Hermes Syndications from the New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale in 2014. Previously trained by Anthony Cummings, he raced as Montaigne in Australia with his best performance finishing 2nd to Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock) in the G1 Rosehill Guineas.

Eagle Way for Moore

Eagle Way (More Than Ready) delivered a Group 2 double for John Moore when saluting in the Jockey Club Cup.

Brothers Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko) and Glorious Forever (GB) (Archipenko) set a blistering pace with Pakistan Star (GER) (Shamardal) hot on their heels. By the 300m mark the race had essentially inverted, with back marker Eagle Way scorching home to take out the Hong Kong Cup preparation race.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club reported Glorious Forever, Pakistan Star and Time Warp were beaten a combined total of 50 lengths, with Pakistan Star's jockey Karis Teetan commenting he 'cruised around comfortably but when I asked him to go he felt like he'd had enough.'

Eagle Way was purchased from the 2014 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by George Moore for $200,000. He took out the G1 Queensland Derby in 2016 when trained by Brian Guy.

Hat trick for the Prawn

Hot King Prawn (Denman) has emerged as a star of the Hong Kong sprint scene early this season, with a win in Sunday's G2 Jockey Club Sprint, cementing his claims on the G1 Hong Kong Sprint in early December.

This is the third Group win in as many starts this season for the John Size trained runner, and fourth in a row, with Size’s former charge Mr Stunning (Exceed and Excel) - now trained by Frankie Lor - flashing home for second. Size also trained the third place runner Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook).

Hot King Prawn was sold by Torryburn Stud from the 2016 Inglis Classic Sale for $90,000.

Freo may go to Kingston Town

The G1 Railway S. may be out of the question for G3 RJ Peters S. winner Freo (Izmir) but trainer Daniel O'Connor is contemplating a late entry for the G1 Kingston Town S.

Freo gave O'Connor, who only took up training licence earlier this year, his biggest thrill in racing with his win at Ascot on Saturday.

The young trainer told the West Australian that he felt the pressure with the 5-year-old but was delighted to have secured a significant win.

“There was pressure every day and every minute,” O’Connor said. “It’s just a big relief. Even if he ran second I would have been delighted, but to win a Group 3…it’s great."

“This horse just never lets us down and we’re over the moon."

There is a $22,000 late entry fee for the Kingston Town Classic (1800m) on December 8 and O'Connor said it was something the connections were considering.

“He’s not the kind of horse you could back-up a week later (in the Railway) so it’s probably a blessing in disguise anyway,” he said.

Seasons plans kept close

Trainer Les Bridge is playing his cards close to his chest with his talented mare Seasons (Sebring), who resumed with a strong win at Rosehill on Saturday.

Having her first start since June, Seasons beat her benchmark 78 rivals easily and while Bridge admits he is excited about the mare, he is not making any specific plans.

"I did get excited, I haven’t been this excited since Souths won the grand final,'' Bridge quipped. "She’s a lovely filly with a beautiful action, you watch the action on her. She’s light as anything but she has a deep girth and shoulder and that’s all you need Percy Sykes told me.''

Bridge, who trained star mare Hot Danish (Nothin Leica Dane), was not keen to compare Seasons to anything he has trained before after her third win from five starts. He said he will let her pick her way through another couple of races before setting any plans for 2019.

"I’ll give her a couple of runs, I’m an old ad lib bloke,'' he said. "No long-term plans with me. She’ll be all right, you leave her to me I’ll look after her.''

Romancer takes Donald Cup

Darren Weir's red hot run in Victoria's country cups has continued with Romancer's (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) victory in Sunday's Donald Cup.

Ridden by Jarrod Lorensini, Romancer led home a quinella for OTI-owned horses with Fastnet Latina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), trained by Archie Alexander, finishing second. Our Bottino (Bianconi {USA}) was third.

It is Romancer's first Australian victory in six starts since arriving from New Zealand ahead of this campaign. He won four races in New Zealand for Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs.

Weir has won three of the past four Donald Cups and adds to a stakes-winning treble on Saturday at Sandown as well as the Ararat Cup and Kyneton Cup in the past two weeks.

Moreira returns to HK

Superstar jockey Joao Moreira has been given approval to return to full-time riding in Hong Kong as trainer John Size's stable jockey.

The HKJC licensing committee confirmed the decision on Saturday, allowing Moreira to ride in a full-time capacity from December 9.

He was already riding in Hong Kong on an occasional basis after he recently ended his stint in Japan.

Moreira stunned his legion of Hong Kong fans when he brought his phenomenally successful stint to an end back in June after riding over 700 winners to take up an opportunity in Japan.

But he failed the JRA’s written exam as part of the standard licensing procedures and opted to leave rather than reapply.

Summer targets for Savanna Amour

The G1 Winterbottom S. is off the agenda for Savanna Amour (Love Conquers All) but trainer Chris Meagher is still keen to push on to summer black-type racing.

Meagher will target the 6-year-old, who was third in the G3 Kevin Heffernan S. at Sandown on Saturday, at the G3 Standish H. at Flemington on New Year’s Day.

“It was the best she’d looked all campaign and she ran right up to it,” Meagher told racing.com.

“We won’t spell her, she’ll have seven to 10 days on the water walker here at Fulmen Park to freshen up and then we’ll bring her back into the stable and have a look at some nice races over the summer."

“The Standish Handicap down the straight at Flemington looks a good option for her and then maybe something like the Australia Stakes in January.”