Written by Alan Carasso
Given the restrictions imposed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club in their response to the Coronavirus outbreak on the China mainland, there was a small fraction of the typical Wednesday night crowd on hand at Happy Valley Racecourse.
But those in attendance were treated to a virtuoso performance from Californiadeepshot (Deep Field), who took his career record to a perfect three-from-three with a flawless Hong Kong debut.
Passed in for $180,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, the son of Group 2 and treble Group 1-placed Vormista (Testa Rossa) was acquired by Marie Yoshida’s Asian Bloodstock Services for $260,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in April 2018.
Californiadeepshot as a yearling
The colt, a half-brother to 2015 G1 Blue Diamond S. runner-up Reemah (Redoute’s Choice), was acquired on behalf of the Liang family, Yoshida’s long-time client which has raced the likes of Hong Kong fan favourite and multiple Group 1 winning middle-distance galloper California Memory (USA) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and Group 3 hero California Whip (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) to name a few.
“He was a beautiful individual,” said Yoshida, reached by phone from Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon. “His physical, his walk, everything about him was just exceptional. He was very well put together, he was perfect in a low-key, low-profile sort of way."
“His physical, his walk, everything about him was just exceptional. He was very well put together, he was perfect in a low-key, low-profile sort of way." - Marie Yoshida
She added, “That is the beauty of Australia, it’s a place where you can purchase genuine racehorses. It was the first crop of Deep Field and we thought he was worth taking a chance on.”
Turned over to Peter and Paul Snowden, Californiadeepshot belied a quote of $11 to win his maiden at first asking by 1.3l at Kembla Grange last August in course-record time of 55.84s. He added a BM64 H. as the $3.30 favourite at the New South Wales track four weeks later.
Marie Yoshida | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Following some deliberation, the decision was made to send the chestnut to the Liangs’ Hong Kong trainer Tony Cruz.
“Speed, speed and more speed,” Yoshida replied when asked what made Californiadeepshot a candidate to race in Hong Kong. “His mother was very good from 1200 to 1400 metres and a Group 2 winner and placed three times in Group 1. She was a genuinely fast horse. Then if you look at Deep Field - wow.”
“His mother was very good from 1200 to 1400 metres and a Group 2 winner and placed three times in Group 1. She was a genuinely fast horse. Then if you look at Deep Field - wow.” - Marie Yoshida
Given some time to acclimatise after his arrival in mid-November, Californiadeepshot went to the trials for the first time at Happy Valley on December 28, winning by a head, and repeated the dose over the Sha Tin all-weather on January 10. Immediately behind him that day was Wellington (All Too Hard), himself a first-up winner at Sha Tin on January 27. Californiadeepshot led throughout to scoop a 1200-metre barrier trial back at the city circuit on January 18.
Partnered by Karis Teetan Wednesday evening, Californiadeepshot - HKJC’s Jenny Chapman’s pick of the paddock on looks - was well in the market at $6.10, a price likely inflated by his having drawn gate 12 - a barrier from which just three starters from 68 runners (4.4 per cent) had managed to win on the ‘B Course’ at Happy Valley (from September 2017 to present).
Away very quickly, Californiadeepshot managed to cross his rivals to lead reasonably easily turning into the back. Pressed by favoured Victoriam (I Am Invincible) with 350 metres to travel, he kicked hard and covered his final two furlongs in 22.63s for a 1.5l tally.
“I thought it might be tricky with the draw (12) but I had to be very confident, I had to make him understand everything about racing,” Teetan told the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s David Morgan.
“He’d been to Happy Valley to trial so he knew what to expect, but what surprised me was how quickly he got that rail and that’s what won him the race. Once he got it he switched off underneath me until I needed him to quicken.”
The victory did not take Yoshida by surprise.
“We could see it already when we were in Australia in early January for Magic Millions, everyone was talking about him,” she related.
“He had already made a big impression in Australia and his trials in Hong Kong were very good. He jumped very well and then it was amazing how he relaxed very professionally. He kicked and we were very proud of how he ran.”
Californiadeepshot
Asian Bloodstock Services signed for seven horses at Easter 2018, four of which are now winners. In addition to Californiadeepshot, $450,000 grad California Zimbol (I Am Invincible) out of Zimaretto (Anabaa {USA}) has been victorious in half of her six trips to the races, including the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. at Caulfield last October. A “Group 1 filly in the making,” she is a half-sister to a yearling colt by Astern that Yoshida bought for $725,000 at the Gold Coast a few weeks ago.
California Musical (Zoffany {Ire}), a $320,000 buy, broke his maiden at second asking at Newcastle last June and recently added a BM64 H. at Kembla on January 7. California Salto (Fastnet Rock), an $800,000 acquisition, is a winner of two of her six career starts. Each of the aforementioned is trained by Team Snowden.
Peter and Paul Snowden
“Peter and Paul were naturally a bit sad that we decided to export Californiadeepshot to Hong Kong, but they took it in stride,” Yoshida said. “But we do purchase colts in Australia that we can keep there as well and we also provide them with the best fillies we can purchase.”
Yoshida has had a long and successful relationship with the many generations of the Liang family, dating all the way back to Thomas Liang’s 1998 Hong Kong Derby hero Johan Cruyff (GB) (Danehill {USA}). The grandstand at Happy Valley may well have been empty Wednesday evening, but Yoshida is full of hope that she may have uncovered the next good thing in Hong Kong.
“It shows that if you do your hard work and keep checking, you can find these hidden gems,” she said.
