Trainer Ricky Yiu & jockey Neil Callan reach milestones overnight
Flying Tourbillon (130lb) earned his fourth win from 22 starts over 1200m at the city track, taking the night’s final race, the Club Street Handicap, and became Yiu’s 700th Hong Kong winner.
“I am glad to get my 700th win tonight and the good draw and fast pace were really key to the success,” said Yiu. “He is a Happy Valley specialist over 1200m and I would not be surprised to see him win again at this ideal trip.”
“He was twice unlucky with the draw and rode him for luck, tonight we were positive straight away with the nice draw and had a clear run – the horse did the rest,” added Rispoli, who bookended the card following a first race win aboard John Size-trained Zero Hedge.
Yiu reflected on a career that has included preparing some of Hong Kong’s finest sprinters. “Over my 20 years of training, my greatest achievements included Fairy King Prawn, Sacred Kingdom and Amber Sky bringing plenty of joy to their owners. The quality of Hong Kong race horses is now better and better, and looking to the future, I hope I can continue to source more horses of good quality for my owners.”
Wednesday was the first of three “Wines in the Valley” themed parties and Sangria (129lb) was a fifth-race hunch play for those partaking in the festivities. The David Ferraris-trained gelding scampered from last to first under Irish hoop Neil Callan to take the Connaught Handicap, the second win of a double for both trainer and jockey, and was a notable 200th win in Hong Kong for Callan.
“It’s always nice to reach a milestone in Hong Kong. It’s not really something I look at doing, I just like to get my head down, try my best and win as many races as I can.
“Considering the amount of English and Irish jockeys that had been here ten years before me, they all went home early. So for me to come and persevere and keep fighting as they say, it bodes well for me.”
Callan is in his fourth full season in Hong Kong and finished last campaign third in the premiership, but had just two wins from his first 68 rides in the 2017/18 season.
“I started off really slow this season, it’s a bit frustrating. I’ve been here long enough to know that Hong Kong doesn’t owe you any favours, it’s a competitive environment and every day, every season is a new one, so you go have to prove yourself every time you go out.
Sangria, just one of two Spanish-breds currently racing in Hong Kong, earned his first win in 14 Hong Kong starts. “He is a lovely little horse and had good form over sprints in France,” Ferraris said of the gelding, “but he can stay and will win plenty of races here.”
A half-brother to Group 1-placed Noozhoh Canarias, now a stallion in Spain, Sangria was visiting the winner’s enclosure for just the first time since June 2015 when scoring a listed contest on his career debut over 1000m of the Deauville all-weather.
Eight-year-old Amazing Always (133lb) accounted for the first Ferraris winner in the second race Lambeth Handicap, and will enjoy retirement following the success. “He’s just been a wonderful horse, a seven-time winner, and will retire tonight on top.”
Karis Teetan guided Amazing Always to the win before picking up another in the Chater Handicap, the night’s seventh race, aboard Pretty Bauhinia (120lb). The double brought Teetan to 30 wins for the current season.