Tony Cruz will bid for a seventh victory in the HK$4.2 million G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (3 November) when the dual Hong Kong champion trainer accelerates the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) campaigns of Beauty Joy, Five G Patch and La City Blanche.
Cruz first claimed the Ladies’ Purse in 1976 as a jockey on Crossfire and has since added five other victories as a trainer with Russian Pearl (2004), Willie Detroy (2005), Hello Pretty (2006), Time Warp (2018) and Furore (2020).
Beauty Joy, Five G Patch, La City Blanche, Nimble Nimbus, Massive Sovereign, Chancheng Glory, Encountered, Sword Point, Senor Toba, Ensued and second emergency Ka Ying Generation have all been entered for LONGINES HKIR on 8 December.
Also represented by first emergency The Best Peach in the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse, Cruz believes Beauty Joy is primed to return to winning form, while reigning Hong Kong Champion Stayer Five G Patch and La City Blanche will be better suited over longer trips.
“Beauty Joy’s definitely fitter now than he was first-up this season and I’m happier with him this time,” Cruz said. “Hugh Bowman will be riding him and he knows this horse well.
“This horse is settling a bit better now than ever before and he’s fit and well. I believe he can run 1800 metres – he should be very close.
“Five G Patch and La City Blanche need longer races.”
A Group 2 and dual Group 3 winner in Hong Kong after an unbeaten four-start career in Australia where he raced as Talladega, Beauty Joy finished fifth to Galaxy Patch in the G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) when resuming on 13 October.
Yet to win beyond a mile in Hong Kong, Beauty Joy ran third to Voyage Bubble and Beauty Eternal in the G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin in January, having also finished second to Golden Sixty in the 2023 G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) in April, 2023.
Rated 119, Beauty Joy (135lb) jumps from barrier six for Bowman and will concede weight to all 13 rivals – Nimble Nimbus (124lb), Massive Sovereign (123lb), Chancheng Glory (121lb), Encountered (121lb), Five G Patch (121lb), Sword Point (121lb), La City Blanche (119lb), Moments In Time (116lb), Senor Toba (115lb), All For St Paul’s (115lb), Flaming Rabbit (115lb), Karma (115lb) and Ensued (115lb).
Teaming up with BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) victor Massive Sovereign, Zac Purton hopes the talented stayer can transfer decent trial and trackwork form into race-day achievement from gate two.
“He’s going really well, his trials have been good, his trackwork has been good,” seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey Purton said.
“He gets into the race with a reasonable weight which is nice and it looks like it’s not going to be a sit and sprint. There are a few horses there that really like to get into a rhythm.
“That will help him and he’ll get his chance. He’s done enough (on the track).”
Massive Sovereign has been entered in the HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) by trainer Dennis Yip, while Chancheng Glory has been nominated by Francis Lui for the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m).
Hong Kong’s reigning champion trainer, Lui expects Chancheng Glory to continue his consistency – the gelding has so far bagged seven wins and five minor placings from just 18 starts – from barrier seven under Vincent Ho.
“The distance suits him and he’s in good form,” Lui said. “If you put him in front, he doesn’t have good acceleration, but if he is able to follow off a fast pace and travel comfortably, he has a good turn of foot.”
Chancheng Glory won six of 13 starts last preparation with each of his victories coming over 1600m at Sha Tin, rising from Class 4 to Class 1 – and a rating of 105 – in the process.
Sunday’s (3 November) 10-race card at Sha Tin starts at 1pm (AEDT 16:00) with the Class 5 L’Oreal Paris Handicap (1800m).
– News from Hong Kong Jockey Club
