By Alan Carasso
In a relatively short space, mega-millionaire businessman Pan Sutong has tasted tremendous success on the Hong Kong racing landscape. He has won races like the G1 Hong Kong Cup and the prestigious Hong Kong Derby with expensive import Akeed Mofeed (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who now stands at Sutong's Goldin Farms in South Australia. Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie Dei Colori {GB}), third in Akeed Mofeed's Derby, became Hong Kong's champion miler in 2014 and has no fewer than eight feature-race wins, two at international Group 2 level, and those achievements would look better still were it not for horses like Akeed Mofeed and Horse of the Year Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal). Giant Treasure (Mizzen Mast), fifth to Luger (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) in last year's Derby, provided Sutong with his latest success story, dropping his nose down on the line to defeat his Derby conqueror in a thrilling renewal of the G1 Stewards' Cup Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse.
A two-time winner in Europe racing as Sea Defence for Khalid Abdullah and Roger Charlton, Giant Treasure won twice last term over 1400 meters and has focused on trips up to a mile this season. A low-odds fifth behind Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet) and Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the Sha Tin Trophy H. Oct. 25, he was second to the upset-minded Beauty Flame (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in the G2 Jockey Club Mile Nov. 21 and parlayed a perfect trip into a strong runner-up effort to Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) when last spotted in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile Dec. 13.
Determined to prove that effort was no fluke, Giant Treasure was sent off the second choice in the Stewards' Cup and landed slightly better than centerfield, following the moves of favored Contentment down the back with Luger in a good spot just to his outside. Pacesetting Beauty Flame and Multivictory (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) were besieged as the field hit the head of the lane, and Joao Moreira split that duo going well, while Christophe Soumillon was happy to roll the dice up the fence. In the meantime, Luger, first-up for eight months, was finding his best stride down the center and the stage was set for a pulsating finish. Giant Treasure hit the lead 150 meters out and looked to idle ever so slightly, allowing Luger to take a dive at him late, but he was the recipient of a fortuitous bob and the race was his. Contentment just failed to finish the job in third, while Beauty Only made good ground from the tail to be fourth. Top middle-distance horses Blazing Speed (GB) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}, fifth), Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}, sixth) and Designs on Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), eighth) all hit the line hard while prepping for the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup Feb. 28.
“He's not an easy ride, he's still quite green,” said Soumillon, for whom this was a third win in the race, all of which have ironically come aboard American-bred gallopers (2005 Bullish Luck, 2009 Good Ba Ba). “I rode him for the first time in November and he was upsetting us a bit because you could feel he's got a lot of ability but he was not trying that hard. So we tried to find a way to gallop as best as possible. You can't ride him like a usual horse and try to come around the outside to win it. He loves to come through horses. Even today when I hit the front 150 metres from the line, he just looked around and I couldn't make him concentrate until the line, so we were quite lucky to get it today.”
Giant Treasure's full-sister and fellow gray Jibboom was a graded winner on Polytrack and turf and Grade I placed on dirt in the U.S. for the late Bobby Frankel. Palisade is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Piaffe (Successful Appeal).
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
STEWARDS' CUP-G1, HK$10,000,000 (US$1,283,583), Sha Tin, 1-31, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34.16, gd.
1–&#@GIANT TREASURE, 126, g, 5, by Mizzen Mast
1st Dam: Palisade, by Gone West
2nd Dam: Peplum, by Nijinsky II
3rd Dam: Chain Store, by Nodouble
O-Pan Sutong; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Richard Gibson, J-Christophe Soumillon; HK$5,700,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-2-4, HK$16,574,370. *Formerly Sea Defence. **Full to Jibboom, MGSW & GISP-US, $487,600. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Luger (Aus), 126, g, 5, Choisir (Aus)–Miss Conception (Aus), by Danzero (Aus). (A$260,000 Ylg '12 INGEAS). O-Terry Fok Kwong Hang; B-Bylong Park Thoroughbreds; T-John Size; HK$2,200,000.
3–Contentment (Aus), 126, g, 5, Hussonet–Jemison (Aus), by Commands (Aus). (A$65,000 Ylg '12 INGCLS). O-Benson Lo Tak Wing; B-P J Favretto; T-John Size; HK$1,000,000.
Margins: SHD, NO, 1. Odds: 28-10, 10-1, 8-5.
Also Ran: Beauty Only (Ire), Blazing Speed (GB), Military Attack (Ire), Beauty Flame (Ire), Designs on Rome (Ire), Dan Excel (Ire), Rewarding Hero (GB), Multivictory (NZ).
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for the HKJC.com chart. VIDEO.
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