Good As Gold in Chairman’s Sprint Prize

Though he had never tried a distance as short as six furlongs in what has already been an outstanding career, Pan Sutong’s Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie dei Colori {GB}) got an outstanding ride from the visiting Christophe Soumillon and dove home to best G1 Hong Kong Sprint winners Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) (2014) and Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (2011) in a blanket finish. 

Second in the 2013 G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile, the flashy chestnut carried 130 pounds to victory in the Celebration Cup H. (1400 meters) Oct. 5, then just failed to hold off the classy Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) in the Sha Tin Trophy H. over a mile three weeks later. He had been unable to solve the monstrous Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal) in their last three get-togethers, finishing second in the G2 Jockey Club Mile Nov. 23 and in the Hong Kong Mile Dec. 14 ahead of a sixth last time out in the G1 Stewards’ Cup Jan. 25. 

Race favorite Aerovelocity left there running for Zac Purton, but he had some company to his outside in the form of Flagship Shine (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), as Gold-Fun settled on the rail behind Aerovelocity and Lucky Nine outside that.Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), runner-up in the Hong Kong Sprint and recent winner of the Centenary Sprint Prize was prominent early before settling midfield for the opening half-mile. Aerovelocity swatted away the challenge of Flagship Shine and turned for home traveling confidently, but Soumillon had Gold-Fun poised and they split rivals to join the battle at the 150 meters. Lucky Nine was fighting on deeper out and Peniaphobia was rallying nicely as well, but Gold-Fun got his head home first in a four-way go. The victory sets up a mouth-watering rematch with Able Friend in the G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup Mar. 15, a race Gold-Fun won last term. 

“I was quite confident before the race and I stayed covered behind the favorite, which was where I wanted to be,” said France’s champion jockey. “I had the perfect position turning into the straight; I shook him up 300 meters out and 100 meters out I knew I could win it but I knew it was going to be a small margin.” 

Gold-Fun’s dam was sold for 850,000gns carrying a foal from the first crop of Frankel (GB) at the 2013 Tattersalls December sale. That produce, a filly, was subsequently knocked down to Toshio Terada for ¥96 million (US$941,177) at last year’s JRHA Select Foal Sale. Click for the HKJC.com chart and HKJC.com PPs. VIDEO.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
CHAIRMAN’S SPRINT PRIZE, HK$6,600,000 (US$851,209), Sha Tin, 2-15, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.79, gd. 
1–GOLD-FUN (IRE), 126, g, 6, Le Vie dei Colori (GB)–Goodwood March (GB), by Foxhound. (10,000gns yrl ‘10 TATOCT). O-Pan Sutong; B-Michael Downey & Roalso Ltd; T-Richard Gibson; J-Christophe Soumillon; HK$3,762,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Miler, GSW & MG1SP-HK, 22-10-5-1, HK$34,326,620. *Formerly Strada Colorato (GB). **1/2 to Body and Soul (GB) (Captain Rio {GB}), SW-Eng, $589,863. 
2–Aerovelocity (NZ), 126, g, 6, Pins (Aus)–Exodus (NZ), by Kaapstad (NZ). (NZ$120,000 yrl ‘10 NZBPRE). O-Daniel Yeung Ngai. HK$1,452,000. 
3–Lucky Nine (Ire), g, 8, Dubawi (Ire)–Birjand (GB), by Green Desert. (€9,000 yrl ‘08 TATIRE). O-Dr Chang Fuk To & Maria Chang Lee Ming Shum. HK$759,000. 
Margins: SHD, NK, NK. Odds: 7-1, 6-5, 24-1. 
Also Ran: Peniaphobia (Ire), Frederick Engels (GB), Sterling City (Aus), Dundonnell, Smart Volatility (Aus), Dan Excel (Ire), Eagle Regiment (Aus), Flagship Shine (Aus), Golden Harvest (Aus).