Hong Kong Champions Mile tinged with sadness as Contentment wins
THE 2017 Hong Kong Champions Mile will be remembered for quite some time, but not for the reasons most racing fans would have been hoping for.
The group one feature was taken out by Contentment at long odds and take nothing away from the classy win, but all eyes were on $1.40 favourite and HK Derby winner Rapper Dragon, which was pulled up after breaking down approaching the turn.
The John Moore-trained superstar wasn’t flash out of the barriers, but Joao Moreira hugged the rail and was making a move nearing the turn. Just as the thousands on track were getting excited about the run, that excitement turned to shock horror as Rapper Dragon broke down and was pulled out of the race.
Rapper Dragon received immediate attention from the on-course veterinarians and it was able to walk into the horse ambulance, but the gelding was taken to the Equine Hospital where a fractured pelvis was the diagnosis.
Rapper Dragon was unable to be saved as Head of Veterinarian Clinical Services, Dr Christopher Riggs, explains.
“Rapper Dragon suffered a severe fracture of his pelvis which, unfortunately, was coupled with serious complications,” he said.
“Despite our intensive care in the equine hospital, we were unable to save him.”
RIP my friend and star Rapper Dragon. He was a fighter till the end. Going to miss him #sadday #whatachampionhewas pic.twitter.com/ccSRDEukSw
— George Moore (@Georgejmoore8) May 7, 2017
Contentment was a deserved winner of the Champions Mile, however, but it did have to survive a protest lodged by Zac Purton who rode Beauty Only into second place.
Contentment came underneath Beauty Only and they came close together, but it was ultimately decided that the John Size-trained runner would hold onto victory.
“I was pretty confident,” winning jockey Brett Prebble said. “Zac didn’t stop riding.”
Not much went right for the six-year-old during the run, which paid out at $25 with Ladbrokes.com.au. It was shuffled back in the mid stages, but it was able to get on the back of Helene Paragon which made a daring move around the turn.
“The race didn’t go to plan, I was a little shuffled up around mid-race but that actually worked out well because he hasn’t had a bunny to chase for a while,” Prebble said.
“When Helene Paragon shot to the front quite early, that gave him an extra bunny to guide him along and give him something to look at.
“He has a tendency to gaze around at things in the final stages – that’s why he had the blinkers on last time but they didn’t work out so the pacifiers were back on.
“When he got to the front today, he was waiting again and looking, and when Beauty Only came to him he dug deep again. He’s a quirky horse but he’s definitely got that performance there when he can give it to us – 100 percent of the credit goes to John; he’s a genius.”
This was Contentment’s first success since winning the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup in 2016, but the Australian-bred had been running consistently throughout its campaign.
“The track condition was the difference this afternoon,” trainer John Size said. “It just feels a little bit softer underfoot and that might have helped.”
Contentment has earned a return trip to Japan to contest the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen after finishing 12th in the race last year.
“After winning this race, I’m sure, if the owner’s agreeable, we’ll go to Japan,” Size stated.
Tommy Berry rode Helene Paragon into this, but upon reflection Berry admits his racing tactics weren’t up to scratch.
“I’d seen Beauty Only and Rapper Dragon were behind me so I thought, at the top of the straight, I’d steal a march,” Berry said. “I wasn’t worried about getting out early but I probably should have sat a little bit longer because he was found wanting late on.
“I’ve ridden him with a plan to beat the favourite and that’s got me beaten. He’s done a great job to run third.”