Saturday’s (8 October) Class 2 Yuen Long Handicap (1600m) might not be the most obvious place to find a candidate for the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) but that is where trainer Caspar Fownes is pitching his 97-rated galloper Renaissance Art (130lb) first-up for a campaign that he hopes will take him to the December Group 1 feature.
The smart five-year-old arrived in Hong Kong with a notable scalp in the bag, that of the subsequent European champion Australia, albeit in a first-up maiden at the Curragh back in June 2013. Renaissance Art made a solid start to his Hong Kong career, winning two from six in the 2014/15 season, but hit a 10-race dry spell through last term before a late season flourish brought a brace of wins and reignited hopes that the son of More Than Ready may yet develop into a Pattern class athlete.
“We castrated him at the end of the season prior to last and it just knocked him for six,” Fownes explained. “He wasn’t a happy horse and it took him quite a few months to get over it. He’s really looked the part the last few months and finished off the season in great style.”
Renaissance Art’s back-to-back wins to round out the 2015/16 season came over 2200m at Happy Valley and 2000m at Sha Tin. Back at the latter track for this first start of the campaign, Fownes is looking for a solid effort despite a drop down to 1600m for the first time in a year.
“It’s going to be on the sharp side but I still think he’ll be making nice ground at the finish, which is what I’m looking at,” the three-time champion trainer said.
“He’s summered really well, he looks a treat and he’s a lot stronger, so once we get out to the long distance races he’s going to be quite competitive, I’d say. He’s looking like a horse that could be quite progressive this season.
“After this I’ll step him up to 1800 metres and we’ll see what happens after that. Hopefully we can have a chance to get him into the international Vase.”
One horse that should relish the mile of the Yuen Long Handicap is the David Hall-trained Simply Invincible (114lb). The New Zealand-bred snared the G1 Levin Classic at the distance during an up-and-down three-year-old campaign back in his homeland and notched a Class 3 1400m win during an eight-race freshman season in Hong Kong.
Hall’s deep-closer finds himself second-up for his sophomore season at the foot of the weights on a mark of 81 and with his two most recent runs offering more than a sliver of promise. Last time out, on 25 September, the bottom-weighted Simply Invincible rattled home through a race-fastest final 400m of 22.47s for a closing fourth behind Circuit Land.
But more impressive was the Rios gelding’s penultimate start, his final outing of 2015/16, when he more than matched the finishing kick of the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile-bound Joyful Trinity in a 1600m Sha Tin Class 2. On that occasion, Joyful Trinity was already hitting full stride by the time Simply Invincible was able to find clear running, balance up and kick. The smart bay chased hard, matching the Moore runner’s closing 400m split of 22.35s to pass the post a closing fifth, a length and a quarter behind Joyful Trinity, from whom he was receiving 15lb.
Chad Schofield partnered the bay for the first time in an all-weather track gallop on Wednesday (5 October) and is looking forward to getting the leg-up on Saturday.
“He’s still quite a lightly-raced horse and I think he appreciates the light weight, which allows him to dash home as he’s done in recent times,” Schofield said. “I think the return to the mile will really suit and hopefully there’s a bit of speed on and he can storm over the top of them.
“He’s got class. I galloped him during the week and he’s a pretty laid-back customer. He only does what he has to but as soon as you click him up he’s there for you. He’s bright and well and I’m looking forward to riding him.”
The 14-runner Yuen Long Handicap, race eight of 10 on the day, features a strong line-up. Harbour Master, the mount of Joao Moreira, and Packing Llaregyb head the weights with 133lb. Last season’s HKG3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (1800m) hero Top Act (128lb) will break from gate 13 on his season’s return, one berth in from the Paul O’Sullivan-trained Star Majestic (123lb). Also among the contenders is Lucky Girl, who will benefit from Kei Chiong’s 7lb claim and is set to carry 111lb.
Masters at war
Trainer Michael Chang sign-posted January’s Hong Kong Classic Mile for Dragon Master last month after the Darci Brahma gelding scooted to a third 1000m straight track victory at start six. That first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series remains the objective but Saturday’s Class 3 Pok Oi Cup affords the gelding another opportunity to enhance his five-furlong record.
“All is going well, the horse keeps improving. The owner wants to have one more race at 1000 metres and then next start he will step up in distance,” Chang said.
“I’m a little bit worried about barrier 11. Every time he runs well it is from an inside barrier, a low draw. When he’s been beaten it has been from an outside barrier. He seems a little bit hesitant when he gets between horses. He likes to see daylight.
“I’ll tell the jockey to treat him like a good horse – relax him, sit behind the pace and make sure he has plenty of room before he asks the horse to go. It’s most important for him to get a clear run.
“Next start maybe we will step up to 1200 metres or even go straight to the 1400,” Chang continued. “I think if he keeps improving as he is he will prove to be a very decent horse. The target is the Classic Mile.”
Zac Purton was in the plate for Dragon Master’s (131lb) recent victory but this time the Australian ace will be aboard the horse that finished second that day, the Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Master (123lb, gate seven), 3lb better off at the weights this time for that three quarter-length defeat.
“After I won on Dragon Master, Michael told me he was stepping him up in distance so I assumed he wasn’t running in this race and it wasn’t until after I had committed to Beauty Master that the plan changed, so I was locked in,” revealed Purton.
“He’s a good ride. There’s not much between them – Dragon Master’s probably just got the edge a little bit but hopefully my bloke breaks well, goes along good and gets every chance.”
Karis Teetan will ride Dragon Master in the 11-runner charge.
– News from Hong Kong Jockey Club
