Reigning Cape Champion jockey Aldo Domeyer bagged an early double on the Sha Tin Monday card.
The son of former SA champion jockey Andrew Fortune was craning his neck looking for non-existent dangers as the Francis Lui-trained Victoriam eased to a two and a quarter-length success in the opener, the Class 4 Racing Goes On Handicap (1200m).
Domeyer followed up in the Class 4 Serving The Community Handicap (1650m, dirt) and it was another easy win: the Tony Cruz-trained Beauty Loyal defied top-weight to score by two and a half lengths.
Aldo Domeyer completes the double on Beauty Loyal (Pic – HKJC)
John Moore has December’s Gr1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint on Aethero’s agenda after Hong Kong’s potential next big thing toyed with his rivals in the Class 3 Riding High Together Handicap (1200m).
The handler’s much-hyped juvenile faced his most difficult task yet as he stepped out of two easy Griffin race wins and into open handicap company for the first time. But the outcome was the same: the Sebring gelding sped to the lead, made the running, and breezed down the home straight for an eased-down length and three-quarter score.
“He looks decent, doesn’t he? He did the job today in the fashion that I thought he would,” Moore said of the 1.6 favourite, who stopped the clock in a class record 1m 08.32s.
Aethero wins well under Zac Purton (Pic – HKJC)
“Three runs next season to get him into the 100-range before we get to the Hong Kong Sprint, that would be the ultimate target. I’m getting ahead of myself a bit but I believe he’s definitely the sort of horse that could be the likely type to make it.”
Moore and Purton also teamed successfully with Buddies in the Class 3 Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup Handicap (1650m, dirt) and Classic Beauty in the Class 3 Sportsmanship Handicap (2000m). That treble kept alive Moore’s dream of an eighth champion trainer title as it moved him on to 71 wins for the season, three behind premiership leader John Size.
Purton ended the day with a four-timer after the Caspar Fownes-trained newcomer Winning Delight lifted late to win the finale, the Class 3 Better Future Handicap (1400m). The 50/1 shot took his rider’s running total for the season to 156 and put him 14 behind Joao Moreira’s single season record of 170 wins with four meetings to go.
Paul O’Sullivan has his stable in fine late-season form. The handler saddled the first two home in the Class 5 World-Class Leadership Handicap (1650m, dirt) as the Karis Teetan-ridden Hidden Spirit charged home from deep to finish three lengths ahead of stablemate Mi Blanco.
Hong Kong pop star and actor Aaron Kwok was denied a win when his three-year-old Dancing Fighter failed to make it two from two in the Class 4 Uncompromising Integrity Handicap (1000m). Zac Purton’s mount had no answer to the determined run of the Benno Yung-trained Super Junior, who battled to a three quarter-length victory under Derek Leung.
Deal Maker had his first start for Jimmy Ting in the Class 4 Continuous Development Handicap (1650m, dirt) and hit the mark under Chad Schofield with a two and three quarter-length win.
- Excerpt from Hong Kong Jockey Club
