By Alan Carasso
Making his first start at Happy Valley over an 1800-metre trip that was too short on paper, Pan Sutong's Gold Mount (GB) (Excellent Art {GB}) was given a patient ride from the rear by jockey Alberto Sanna, stuck to the fence in the stretch and rallied past G3 January Cup H. hero Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready) and G3 Centenary Vase H. victor Dinozzo (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}) to land the featured Class 1 Happy Valley Vase H. Wednesday evening at the city track.
Dragged back to last as is his custom, Gold Mount had tacked on to the rest of the field as Packing Dragon (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) rolled up outside of Romantic Touch (Aus) (Northern Meteor {Aus}) to lead entering the final 3 ½ furlongs. The latter was back in front in upper stretch, but riding for luck by chancing on an inside run, Sanna pulled Gold Mount to the outside of Romantic Touch nearing the furlong grounds and stayed on best of all for a narrow success (video).
“On the corner, I didn't mind being back last because I was following Eagle Way, and he was following Dinozzo, so I thought I was around the right horses,” Sanna, winning his first Class 1 race, told the HKJC's Andrew Hawkins. “They were going wide, though, away from the rail, and so I decided that my race would come up the inside. Luckily, it was the right choice as it won me the race.”
Winner of his final four European starts under the care of Alan King, including the 2016 King George V S. (2400m) at Royal Ascot when campaigned as Primitivo, Gold Mount was Group 3-placed over 2400m last term and was runner-up to Dinozzo in the Centenary Vase ahead of a decent fifth to Tony Cruz stablemate Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko) in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) last time. Gold Mount could face that foe again in the G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) Apr. 29, but could also use the May 6 G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) as a steppingstone to the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over that same trip three weeks later.
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