Winless in five tries around the city oval, but three times second, Flame Hero (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) got over the hump to record a first big-race victory in new stakes-record time in the lone pattern race of the season at Happy Valley.
A respectable fifth behind future Horses of the Year Designs on Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) in the 2014 Hong Kong Derby, Flame Hero had won but once in 16 appearances since and was exiting an eighth-place effort in a Class 1 over 1400 meters Dec. 13. On the plus side, he was beaten just 3 1/2 lengths by top 4-year-old Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) and the form of that race was further franked when runner-up Multivictory (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) returned to annex the Chinese Club Challenge Cup H. Jan 1.
Flame Hero was settled in about midfield as Romantic Touch (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) set the pace from Khaya (NZ) (Librettist), a demanding one at first before backing it down a bit through the middle furlongs. Got Fly (Fr) (Early March {GB}), second in last year's Derby, raced prominently and went up to tackle underneath the pacesetter as they raced inside the final 300 meters, but Derek Leung had saved all the ground and scraped the paint to make it a line of three from the rail nearing the furlong marker. Romantic Touch proved stubborn on the engine and was able to subdue the bid of Got Fly, but Flame Hero managed to find a bit extra and drove home a narrow winner. Kabayan (Aus) (Haradasun {Aus}) followed the move of the eventual winner down the backstretch and closed off well from the latter half of the pack to be third.
“The instruction was to let the horse run comfortably after the start,” said Leung, who was chosen to represent Hong Kong for the first time in December's Longines International Jockeys' Championship and was earning his second win at the domestic group level. “He did not show fast early speed as before, but traveled very smoothly on the rail. When I pushed the button, he responded very well.”
Click for the HKJC.com chart and VIDEO.
JANUARY CUP H., HK$3,000,000 (US$387,012), Happy Valley,
1-6, 3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:48.52 (NSR), gd.
1–#FLAME HERO (NZ), 117, g, 6, Savabeel (Aus)–Rhysess (NZ)
(GSW-NZ), by Pins (Aus). (NZ$28,000 Ylg '11 NZBSEL;
NZ$240,000 2yo '11 NZBRTR). O-Amy Li & April & Ben Tsui; B-C
B Turner & Waikato Stud 2001 Ltd; T-Peter Ho; J-Derek Leung;
HK$1,710,000. Lifetime Record: 28-7-4-3, HK$7,697,500.
2–Romantic Touch (Aus), 120, g, 5, Northern Meteor (Aus)–
Dearness (Aus), by Snippets (Aus). O-Ming Shui Sum & Alice
Ming. HK$660,000.
3–Kabayan (Aus), 115, g, 6, Haradasun (Aus)–Tarlaquena (NZ),
by Don Eduardo (NZ). O-Julian Hui & Michele Monique Reis.
HK$345,000.
Margins: HF, NO, NO. Odds: 18-1, 49-10, 12-1.
Also Ran: Got Fly (Fr), Mr Gnocchi (Aus), Top Act (NZ), Helene Super Star, Khaya (NZ), Harbour Master, Ensuring (GB), Rainbow Chic (Ire), Pleasure Gains (GB).
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