Amazing success

Amazing Star
Amazing Star eases down for the win under Zac Purton

Amazing Star produced a stellar performance at Happy Valley last night (Wednesday, 18 December), coasting to an eased-down four and a half-length victory in the Class 3 Venus Handicap (1200m).

“He surprised me how easy he won. I thought he’d win but not by that far,” jockey Zac Purton said.

“He’s had a lot of time off so he’s been able to develop and furnish into a nice horse. His best asset is his gate speed and he cruises along at a nice tempo as well and he gave me a good kick.”

The Jimmy Ting-trained five-year-old won one from six in his first season – for his previous handler Chris So – but returned from a set-back last term with two below par efforts. A further injury side-lined the Darci Brahma gelding until a winning return last month and after this latest success he looks set to rise to the Class above.

“I think he’ll still have a chance in Class 2 because he’ll have a light weight but the horses in that Class are much faster so it might be difficult,” Ting said.

“Last season he disappointed but I still thought he had potential. I believed he could win but not as easily as this.”

Bear Again broke through at his 11th Hong Kong outing when surging away under Alexis Badel in the Class 3 Mars Handicap (1650m). David Ferraris’ charge was fourth in two Group 2 races in South Africa pre-import and displayed a touch of class in drawing four lengths clear in a smart time of 1m 38.85s.

Matthew Chadwick maintained his solid form this term, driving Lightning Steed (114lb) to victory in the Class 4 Uranus Handicap (1650m) at odds of 46/1. The rider kicked the Caspar Fownes-trained galloper to the lead into the home turn and the five-year-old repelled the late charge of runner-up Thunder Stomp (131lb).

Dennis Yip has found winners hard to come by this season but after going winless for a month before bagging the Class 5 at Sha Tin on Sunday, the handler followed up when the Purton-ridden Happy Hour took the opener tonight, another Class 5, the Neptune Handicap (1650m).

The five-year-old came into the Hong Kong system rated 71 after winning his only two starts in New Zealand, but after taking time to find his feet, won his first local race off a mark of 37 at start 19.

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