By Alan Carasso
The Kwok Family maintained its stranglehold on the Jockey Club Mile, as Beauty Only (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) grinded away late to peg back 96-1 Romantic Touch in the dying strides to follow in the hoofprints of Beauty Flame (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), upset winner of the 2015 renewal.
Winner of the 2015 Hong Kong Classic Mile, Beauty Only–a Group 3 winner in Italy–failed to see out the longer trips and since an eighth in last year's Hong Kong Cup (2000m) has been kept at 1400-1600m. The consistent gelding was victorious in a domestic Group 2 over track and trip and had carried big weights in two starts in this term–a runner-up effort to Joyful Trinity (Ire) (Zanzibari) under 132 pounds in the G3 Celebration Cup H. (1400m) Oct. 1 and a third to Designs On Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) with 133 pounds in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy H. (1600m) Oct. 23.
Just touched out of favoritism in the final few minutes of wagering by reigning Classic Mile hero Sun Jewellery (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), Beauty Only was allowed to find his feet slowly and raced near the back of the pack early on as Beauty Flame showed his trademark early speed in advance of Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet) and last year's G1 Hong Kong Mile runner-up Giant Treasure (Mizzen Mast). As the pace was slow to develop, several horses, most notably Sun Jewellery, was reticent to relax, and it was Beauty Flame enjoying another very soft run into the turn. The pacesetter took them into the final quarter mile after 1200m in a modest 1:10.86, but the chief protagonists were working their way into it, even as the friendless Romantic Touch (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) was having the first crack at Beauty Flame. Sun Jewellery was the first to try Romantic Touch, though never able to get by that one, and Beauty Only raced over the top to score narrowly. The hard-luck story of the race was Helene Paragon (Fr) (Polan {Fr}), who was stymied for a run off the heels of Contentment at a critical stage and finished a what-might-have-been seventh.
“He's a very intelligent horse and I suppose he just does what he has to do and as long as he's doing that [winning], we're happy,” said winning jockey Zac Purton, who rode four winners on the day. “Tony always gets his horses to peak on the big days and he's left a little bit there for December. He'll turn the screw now, and we need to.”
Pedigree Notes:
Beauty Only, who raced in Italy as Gentleman Only, is kin to the current 3-year-old colt Dee Dee d'Or (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), a stakes winner and runner-up in this year's G2 Derby Italiano. Beauty Only's dam is a half-sister to Italian highweight and GSW Late Parade (Ire) (Astronef {Ire}), the dam of US GSW & GISP Sweet Ludy (Ire) (Be My Guest). Goldendale's most recent produce is a yearling colt of this year by Fastnet Rock (Ire), who fetched €95,000 from WE Bloodstock as a weanling at Goffs last November.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
BOCHK WEALTH MANAGEMENT JOCKEY CLUB MILE-G2, HK$4,000,000 (£413,937/€481,442/A$689,859/US$515,655), Sha Tin, 11-20, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.79, gd.
1–BEAUTY ONLY (IRE), 123, g, 5, by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)
1st Dam: Goldendale (Ire), by Ali-Royal (Ire)
2nd Dam: Skisette, by Malinowski
3rd Dam: Salette (Ire), by Sallust (GB)
(€72,000 Ylg '12 ITYSEP). O-Eleanor Kwok Law Kwai Chun & Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen; B-Massimo Parri; T-Tony Cruz; J-Zac Purton; HK$2,280,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ity, G1SP-HK, 27-9-5-3, HK$20,506,620. *1/2 to Dee Dee d'Or (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), SW & GSP-Ity, $190,118. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Romantic Touch (Aus), 123, g, 6, Northern Meteor (Aus)–Deamess (Aus), by Snippets (Aus). O-Ming Shui Sum & Alice Ming Bo Ting; B-Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Tony Cruz; HK$880,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Sun Jewellery (Aus), 123, g, 4, Snitzel (Aus)–Tan Tat Star (Aus), by Umatilla (NZ). O/B-Tung Moon Fai; T-John Size; HK$460,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: SHD, NK, 1. Odds: 23-10, 96-1, 11-5.
Also Ran: Contentment (Aus), Joyful Trinity (Ire), Beauty Flame (Ire), Helene Paragon (Fr), Gun Pit (Aus), Giant Treasure, Packing Pins (NZ).
Click for the HKJC chart and VIDEO. HKJC PPs. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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