Romantic Son Gives Hayes Third DBS x Manulife Million Challenge
David Hayes has continued a remarkable domination of the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge, clinching victory in the series for the third consecutive season after Romantic Son’s (135lb) stunning success at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
After Tomodachi Kokoroe shared the spoils in 2023/24 with Danny’s Shum Copartner Ambition, Hayes has triumphed outright across the past two years with Soleil Fighter and now Romantic Son.
“It was very exciting to see Romantic Son win it – he’s my syndicate horse and they’re a great bunch of people, it’s such a thrill,” Hayes said after moving to 33 wins for the season – only one shy of trainers’ championship leader Mark Newnham (34).
“We’re up there now in the premiership and are certainly right in the hunt now – long may it continue.”
Decided on a format of 15 points for a win, six for second, four for third and three for fourth in Class 3 races and above from September until tonight, this season’s DBS x Manulife Million Challenge saw both Romantic Son and Regal Gem finish with 45 points each.
But, under the competition regulations, Romantic Son claimed the winner’s purse of HK$1 million on countback with three wins to Regal Gem’s two, sealing overall success with a brilliant performance to land the Class 3 Sing Woo Handicap (1200m) under Harry Bentley, who replaced indisposed Dylan Browne McMonagle.
With 42 points, Regal Gem needed a top-three finish in the Class 2 Blue Pool Handicap (1200m) to overtake Romantic Son and win the series but he crossed the line in fourth place behind Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Waves (135lb) under Zac Purton, Young Champion (115lb) and Brave Star (119lb) to finish with 45 points from two wins, two seconds and a fourth.
In addition to prizemoney of HK$1.04 million, Romantic Son earned HK$1 million for the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge triumph, while Regal Gem’s connections collected HK$350,000.
Three horses – King Miles, Storm Rider and Awesome Fluke totalled 36 points – and earned HK$50,000 each.
Jumping from barrier 12, Romantic Son (135lb) finished powerfully to overhaul California Blitz (120lb) and Power Koepp (127lb) to register his fourth win – all at Happy Valley – from 19 starts.
“Obviously I was concerned the horse was carrying top weight and had a bad draw (barrier 12) because I perhaps thought he needed a perfect one-back, on-the-rail trip but he’s clearly proven that theory wrong and won from a wide gate,” Bentley said.
“To be fair to the horse, he quickened really well off the top weight and he won well. Obviously, I know the horse really well, having won on him twice before so it was unfortunate for Dylan but good to step in and get the owners another winner.”
Awesome Fluke (116lb) effectively scuttled the hopes of Helene Feeling (134lb), Silvery Breeze (115lb) and Huge Wave, who all could have moved into the top three of the competition standings, when he set a course record of 1m 37.74s to win the Class 2 Shan Kwong Handicap (1650m) for Ricky Yiu and Andrea Atzeni.
Settling second behind New Forest (122lb), Awesome Fluke surged to the front at the top of the straight to resist Soleil Fighter (121lb) and Huge Wave (126lb) to post his fourth victory in Hong Kong after winning the 2023 Group 2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m) in Perth, Australia where he raced as Awesome John.
“I thought we went a nice gallop, I was happy to lead, and Lyle (Hewitson on New Forest) went on a decent tempo,” Atzeni said.
“With a light weight and coming back in distance, my only chance was to make it into a proper test of tempo because a sprint was going to suit me and with a light weight, he kept going.”
Ng and Atzeni combined for doubles when Storm Runner (117lb) notched his first win at his 17th attempt with success in the Class 4 Yuk Sau Handicap (1800m) before Maxime Guyon prevailed on Me Tsui-trained Candlelight Dinner (127lb) in the Class 3 King Kwong Handicap (1000m).
Caspar Fownes extended his lead in the Happy Valley standings with a double and moved to within one win of 1,200 career victories in Hong Kong when the ‘King of the Valley’ struck with Somelovefromabove (126lb) in the second section of the Class 4 Wang Tak Handicap (1200m) under James Orman and Hong Kong International Sale graduate Corleone (119lb) in the Class 3 Tsui Man Handicap (1650m) under Ellis Wong.
Victor The Rapid (131lb) broke through for the first time this season with success in the first section of the Class 4 Wang Tak Handicap (1200m) for Pierre Ng and Jerry Chau, who subsequently teamed with Cody Mo to score aboard Stormi (124lb) in the Class 3 Yik Yam Handicap (1650m).
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday February 8, with the HK$4.2 million Group 3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m).
