Teetan scores double at Sha Tin, has Hong Kong Derby in sights
Preparing to partner Sagacious Life in the HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on Sunday, Karis Teetan hit peak form with a double at Sha Tin on Sunday as six other participants — Keith Yeung, Harry Bentley, Chris So, John Size, Francis Lui and David Hall — figured prominently.
Boosting his tally to 25 wins for the season, Teetan scored aboard So’s Go Go Go (115lb) in the Class 5 Sa Po Handicap (1650m, dirt) and Brett Crawford’s first starter Mr Incredible (129lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Nga Tsin Wai Handicap (1200m) as he bids to snare a second Hong Kong Derby crown after Romantic Warrior’s 2022 triumph.
Posting his first wins in five meetings, Teetan was delighted to return to form ahead of the Hong Kong Derby.
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The Mauritian is excited to be partnering Pierre Ng-trained Sagacious Life after the Brazilian import’s second placing in a 1700m barrier trial at Happy Valley on Saturday
Sagacious Life is paying 25.00 to win the Hong Kong Derby with international betting sites, including bet365, having early markets up for the feature. .
“He had the hood on yesterday to keep him quiet, and it was good to have him calm down in the trial,” Teetan said.
“He was able to finish off nicely. I’ve been sitting on him every day and I’m really happy – I think he’s going to be a good runner.”
Without a victory since February 14, Teetan was elated with his double this afternoon.
“It’s great. Go Go Go has dropped down in the ratings so much now and Chris freshened him up and gave him a trial and said he was ready and with that weight, to get him going and he ran a good race, actually,” Teetan said.
“Mr Incredible is a smart little horse, we’ve been doing a lot of work on him – up and down to Conghua – and it seems like he’s taken every trial pretty good, he’s learnt a lot and today was a tough win. He had to dig down and come through a little gap but he’s won nicely.”
Crawford, a South African trainer in his first season in Hong Kong, said Mr Incredible had plenty of maturing to do.
“He’s (Mr Incredible) put up some really good trials, but he’s still a big baby. I didn’t think today was easy for him, he only got a gap in the last 200m, but I think he’s a horse with a lot of potential and the owners will have a lot of fun with him,” he said.
“He’s only three-years-old; he’s got a nice career ahead of him, so we’ll just look after him and take him step by step.”
Yeung also posted a double, striking aboard Francis Lui’s Call Me Sparkle (127lb) in the first section of the Class 4 Nga Tsin Wai Handicap (1200m) before dead-heating on Lui’s Turquoise Velocity (121lb) with Manfred Man’s We Are Hero (128lb) under Jerry Chau in the Class 3 Lok Sing Tong Cup Handicap (1000m).
Lui’s push for the trainers’ championship continued to accelerate with the successes of Turquoise Velocity and Call Me Sparkle, leaving the 2023/24 Hong Kong champion with 36 wins and in fifth place overall in this season’s standings behind Caspar Fownes (42 wins), David Hayes (37) and Mark Newnham (36).
Lui believes Call Me Sparkle and Turquoise Velocity are both gifted gallopers.
“He’s (Call Me Sparkle) a nice horse. With a young horse, I think it is crucial to have a lower draw (barrier three) like he had. He ran on well and I think he will improve for this. I like the attitude he showed,” Lui said.
“He’s in good form. At the moment, he’s just between 1000 (metres), even can step up to 1200.”
With talented young horses such as Hot Delight at his disposal, Lui is building impetus as he contemplates a strong championship push with 34 meetings left in the season.
“Looking for it (trainers’ championship) because I have many young horses,” Lui said. “They are up and coming, so hopefully they can keep up the condition.”
David Hall’s Nezha (135lb) unleashed a spectacular finish under James Orman to win the Class 4 Nam Kok Handicap (1650m, dirt) before Zac Purton and John Size combined with Endeared (135lb) to claim the second section of the Class 4 Lung Kong Handicap (1400m).
Size moved to 31 wins for the campaign when Fit For Beauty (124lb) claimed victory in the Class 3 Carpenter Handicap (1400m) for Andrea Atzeni.
Hall also sealed a brace with Thunder Blaze (119lb) who surged home along the fence for Matthew Poon in the Class 3 Junction Handicap (1650m, dirt). Formerly known as Sounds Like A Plan when trained by Andrew Oliver, the grey was a dual winner in Ireland. Weighing in at 956lb, the Night Of Thunder gelding powered along the fence under Poon’s urgings to defeat Romantic Thor (120lb) by a short head.
So notched his 20th win of the campaign when Harry Bentley piloted Devas Twelve (131lb) to victory in the first section of the Class 4 Lung Kong Handicap (1400m) before Bentley – who will partner Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) victor Stormy Grove in the Hong Kong Derby – completed a double on Smart Golf (124lb) in the Class 3 Kowloon City Handicap (1200m).
David Eustace-trained Majestic Knight (125lb) took full advantage of gate one under Hugh Bowman to clinch the Class 5 South Wall Handicap (1200m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (18 March).
