Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Matthew Poon combined with trainer Ricky Yiu to win the feature race, the Panasonic Cup, on the Sha Tin Card with Green ‘N’ White (Smart Missile), while he’d earlier won the second on the card with exciting 3-year-old gelding Ka Ying Attack (NZ) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) who is trained by David Hall.
Poon on target for final International Jockey Championship slot
Poon’s double brings him closer to grabbing the last remaining spot for December 6’s International Jockey's Championship. “The barrier draw helped a lot because I reckon this field is a very strong field – most of the horses had a chance to win. Luckily, the pace was fast, and, from the draw, I was able to get a good spot, and he was able to finish off the race,” Poon told racingnews.hkjc.com about Green ‘N’ White.
“I’m very happy with this win.” The win took him to 13 wins for the season. The final two International Jockeys Championship slots will go to the two jockeys with the most wins (excepting those who already have a slot). This means Poon is vying against Hugh Bowman (19 wins), Karis Teetan (13), who has more minor placings than Poon, and Matthew Chadwick (11 wins) for the two slots.
Green ‘N’ White will either go to the Chevalier Cup on November 24 or one of the races on the International Day undercard on December 8. He has won both his starts this time in, and had five wins from 12 starts overall with earnings over HK$6.3 million (AU$1.2 million). Green ‘N’ White has done all his racing in Hong Kong and was initially pinhooked by A List Stud from Gooree Park Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $230,000, and then on-sold at the Magic Millions 2YOs In Training Sale for $340,000 to Ricky Yiu and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA).
A full brother to 4-year-old mare Aviatress, who won the G3 Northwood Plume S. two starts ago for trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly, Green ‘N’ White is out of winning mare Twin Star Rocket (Bel Esprit) who is a half-sister to Listed winner Ever The Same (Canny Lad).
Ka Ying Attack shows early promise
There are not many horses in Hong Kong who are younger than four, but 3-year-old gelding Ka Ying Attack (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is one of them. A trial winner as a pre-Christmas juvenile in New Zealand, he was exported to Hong Kong shortly after that. Ka Ying Attack ran fourth at this first start a month ago, then won on Saturday at his second career start.
“I got some birthday luck today I was three-deep the whole way on Ka Ying Attack, no cover, so I think it was pretty much the horse. He had improved mentally and physically since his first start. I think he will improve again from this run,” said Poon.
“I’m very happy and I need to thank my former boss (David Hall). It’s been a long time since I have ridden a winner for him.” Sold by Jamieson Park as a weanling at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling and Broodmare Sale for NZ$30,000 to RR Philp, Ka Ying Attack is the third winner for Refreshing (Stratum) who is an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Sangria (I Am Invincible).
Savvy Brilliant set for Classic series
Trainer Frankie Lor won the final two on the card with 4-year-old gelding Savvy Brilliant (Toronado {Ire}) and Voyage Samurai (Dissident). It is Savvy Brilliant who looks to have a brilliant future, having now won twice in succession and will be stretched now to see if he can become a Classic Series contender.
“It was a good effort, but he still has some bad habits inside the gates,” Lor told scmp.com of the neck victory after Savvy Brilliant ran on from last.
“Last time when he won, he also missed the start. I trialled him again and it was a little bit better. He was lucky today because the pace was fast. A mile will be okay for him and maybe we can try the Classic Series with him later. Zac said we can try 1400 metres now because if he misses the start over 1200 metres, it may be trouble.”
A winner of his only start in Australia, racing as Gallaroo, Savvy Brilliant was mediocre in his first start in Hong Kong running eighth of 14, in a race won by Magic Control (Sioux Nation {USA}) who also won on this card, and now he’s put two wins together to take his full career record to three wins from four starts with earnings over $700,000. Sold by Rushton Park at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $160,000 to Freedman Racing and Julian Blaxland Bloodstock (FBAA), he was sold privately to Hong Kong after his debut win.
Savvy Brilliant as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Savvy Brilliant is the second foal of unplaced mare Liberty Made (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), and her first foal is Lucious (Fighting Sun) who has won three races. There is no black type in this family for the first three generations, but Savvy Brilliant’s fourth dam is Group 3 winner Tree Of Renown (Twig Moss {Fr}).
The Four-Year-Old Series consists of the Classic Mile, the Classic Cup, and the Hong Kong Derby, with the mile run in January. Australian born pair of Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) in 2020 and Rapper Dragon (Street Boss {USA}) in 2017 are the only two horses to have won all three legs.
Magic Control to bypass Hong Kong International Sprint
Previously a group winner in Australia, Magic Control will likely bypass the G1 Hong Kong Sprint despite a strong win on Saturday for trainer Cody Mo and jockey Matthew Chadwick.
“It was a nice win, he (Magic Control) did what we expected him to do. He still gets himself a bit hot, he just keeps sweating, but he had a nice smooth run, which is what we wanted, and we tried to catch a bit of a break off the second horse (Wunderbar) and it panned out nicely,” Chadwick told racingnews.hkjc.com.
Magic Control, who raced in Australia as Archo Nacho, has had four starts in Hong Kong. His first start was for Jamie Richards in June, where he ran a disappointing seventh, and was transferred to Mo. He won his first start for Mo in September, then was second in the G3 National Day Cup last start, before Saturday’s win. He now has a record of five wins from nine starts with earnings over $1.2 million, having previously won three of his five starts in Australia including both the G3 Red Anchor S. and Listed Poseidon S.
“I think the 1000 metres is better for him at the moment, but the next race I will probably try the 1200 metres in December – not the Hong Kong Sprint, though,” Mo said. “In his first run for my stable, he ran a very good time and in the Group 3 he also ran a fast time, so I could see he had a lot of ability. The only concern for me in the race was John’s horse (Wunderbar) but he did a good job.”
“In his (Magic Control's) first run for my stable, he ran a very good time and in the Group 3 he also ran a fast time, so I could see he had a lot of ability.” - Cody Mo
Magic Control was sold by Rosemont Stud at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $10,000 to Kingsbarn Bloodstock, and later sold privately to Hong Kong as a 3-year-old. His dam, Jackpot Queen (Not A Single Doubt), has produced six winners from as many to race. Jackpot Queen won four races at two including the Wellington Boot.
