Hugh Bowman stars with Happy Valley quartet
Preparing to partner Helios Express in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, Hugh Bowman laid the foundation for a successful week with a four-timer at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Reviving memories of his blazing start to the season, Bowman triumphed on Hercules, Telecom Speed, Noble Pursuit and Happy Golf to dominate the mid-week card, taking his seasonal tally to 34 to trail only Zac Purton (61) and Karis Teetan (42) in the jockeys’ championship.
Bowman slotted a race-to-race double aboard Dennis Yip-trained Hercules and Me Tsui’s Telecom Speed in a confidence-building display before scoring with Noble Pursuit for Caspar Fownes.
“A four-timer, it’s been a good night,” Bowman said after Frankie Lor-trained Happy Golf landed the first section of the Class 4 Jaffe Handicap (1200m). “I had good rides. Happy Golf is the only one that really drew a good marble (barrier two) and I was able to get him into a nice rhythm. I’ve had a good association with him – that’s my third win on him.
“With the others, I had some sticky draws. The horses have all run very well. Noble Pursuit, who was tardy away last time, I thought that if he jumped better, I could take the gamble and be handier in position up in trip and the gamble paid off.
“He’s a horse with, in my opinion, a class edge on tonight’s opposition but that said, he’s still got some learning to do. He’s won with authority, but I think there’s more in store. Telecom Speed did a really good job and so did the first one, Hercules. It’s nice.”
Bowman will reunite with Helios Express on Sunday when the 102-rater contests the first leg of the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which also features the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on March 3 and the HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on March 24.
“He (Helios Express) looks well placed and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
Fownes extended his lead in the Happy Valley standings when Nicconi County gave the ‘King of the Valley’ his 19th winner of the season at the city circuit and 27th overall by winning for Teetan, who then advanced to a brace when David Hayes-trained Tomodachi Kokoroe easily won under 135lb to climb into Class 2.
Ricky Yiu’s Simply Maverick, a nominee for the Hong Kong Derby, showcased his talent with a tough win, scoring emphatically despite covering ground under Andrea Atzeni.
By Sebring, Simply Maverick has won three of his last four starts over Happy Valley’s 1650m course.
Chris So-trained Golden Fairy broke through at his 14th start under a precise Alexis Badel ride before Circuit Seven won for Cody Mo under Matthew Poon.