Beauty Generation causes upset in Celebration Cup
FORMER Australasian runner Beauty Generation has won its first black type race in Hong Kong when taking out the Group 3 Celebration Cup at Sha Tin.
The John Moore-trained gelding, which raced under the name of Montaigne in Australia and New Zealand, came to Hong Kong with a placing in the 2016 Rosehill Guineas and soon made its presence known when placing in the Hong Kong Derby and Hong Kong Classic Mile, but it hadn’t crossed the line in first.
That all changed on Sunday night when it crossed from a wide barrier for Derek Leung and the opposition couldn’t catch it.
“Originally, the instructions were to ride him back, but when Mother Nature opened the heavens up and we got a bit of cushion into the track, I said to Derek, go ahead to the lead,” Moore said.
“That was just a case of a New Zealand horse loving any cut in the ground, which he got today.”
It wasn’t the first away from the barriers as Winner’s Way and New Asia Sunrise broke well, but gave up the lead to the $18 chance at Bet365.com.
“He jumped well from the gate and I didn’t need to use too much of him to get the lead in front,” Leung said.
“The others did not pressure me and the key to the win was really his stamina. He’d run in longer races last season and even though this was a drop back in trip, he had the stamina to see it out late.”
John Moore will look to keep Beauty Generation at the 1600m distance and run in the Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy later in October.
“Looking ahead, I will speak to the owners and see if they will let me keep Beauty Generation at a mile, I think that’s probably his best distance. If so, he will come back in the 1600m Group 3 later this month,” Moore said.
Stablemate Eagle Way finished sixth, but the distance was always going to be too short according to its trainer.
“I was very pleased with Eagle Way, who performed as I’d expected,” Moore said. “This was always too short for him and he will now go to the Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (5th November) and then onto the 2000m trial (BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Cup).”