By Alan Carasso
Shut out in six tries since a spectacular first-up win last September, Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) led home a one-three finish for his successful sire with a mild upset in Sunday's Chairman's Trophy at Sha Tin. The race serves mainly as a course-and-distance prep for the G1 BMW Champions' Mile May 1, though third-place finisher Designs on Rome (Ire) and Blazing Speed (GB) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) were using the race as a springboard to the 2000-metre G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup Apr. 24.
Victorious in Class 1 on seasonal debut Sept. 13, Beauty Only was third in the G2 Jockey Club Cup over the metric 10 furlongs Nov. 21, but no better than eighth to A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup the following month. Fourth behind Giant Treasure (Mizzen Mast) in the G1 Stewards' Cup Jan. 21, he filled third spot behind Contentment in the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup Feb. 28, and may have had an excuse when fifth to Rewarding Hero (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in a Class 1 over the mile Mar. 13.
Settled three from the tail early on as Multivictory (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) pushed through to lead on a soft pace, Beauty Only was patiently handled on the circle by Neil Callan and allowed Designs on Rome to make his typical looping run around the field leaving the 600-metre mark. Pushed on off the final corner, Beauty Only showed superior acceleration and knifed through between Blazing Speed to his inside and Designs on Rome on the outer, hit the front going well with a furlong and a half to race and rattled home best of all.
“I knew coming in that the quicker ground today was right up his street–the soft ground last time just went completely against him,” said Callan, who will reunite with Blazing Speed in the QE II. “With the weight difference and that faster ground I knew he had a chance to produce his best and he did, so I'm very happy.”
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
CHAIRMAN'S TROPHY, HK$4,000,000 (£362,956/€452,740/US$515,824), 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.22, gd.
1–BEAUTY ONLY (IRE), 123, g, 5, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)–Goldendale (Ire), by Ali-Royal (Ire). (€72,000 Ylg '12 ITYSEP). O-Eleanor & Patrick Kwok; B-Massimo Parri; T-Tony Cruz; J-Neil Callan; HK$2,280,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ity, G1SP-HK, 22-8-3-2, HK$15,648,620. *Formerly Gentleman Only (Ire).
2–Rewarding Hero (GB), 123, g, 7, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Caldy Dancer (Ire), by Soviet Star. (80,000gns Ylg '10 TATOCT). O-Lee Fung Tai. HK$880,000.
3–Designs on Rome (Ire), 128, g, 6, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)–Summer Trysting, by Alleged. (€10,500 Ylg '11 GOFORB). O-Cheng Keung Fai. HK$460,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, HF. Odds: 13-2, 8-1, 5-1.
Also Ran: Secret Weapon (GB), Contentment (Aus), Blazing Speed (GB), Multivictory (NZ), Dashing Fellow (Aus).
Click for the HKJC.com chart. VIDEO.
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