By Alan Carasso
Jockey Tommy Berry arrived in Hong Kong late last summer with the highest of hopes as the number one rider for the almighty John Moore stable. But the winners were few and far between and that retainer ended several weeks ago, with just 13 victories from the first 74 meetings to show for it.
Berry had trialled 'TDN Rising Star' Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal) to the satisfaction of Hong Kong's stewards ahead of his run in the G1 Audemars Piguet QE II Cup a month ago, but the Aussie had already committed to Japan's Danburite (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) and watched as Pakistan Star sailed home to a ground-breaking success. Given a golden opportunity by trainer Tony Cruz to take the ride aboard Pakistan Star in Sunday's G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup, Berry produced the 5-year-old in upper stretch and the duo went on to a never-in-doubt success.
“I..have to thank Tony and the connections,” Berry told HKJC's Andrew Hawkins after riding his third winner on the program. “I know myself, if I'd told the connections that I was going to put on a jockey that had ridden 13 winners and that was out of form, I'd be second-guessing what Tony was doing, but they have stuck solid since I rode him in the trial before the QEII. There were nights I'd be laying in bed, waiting for the call to tell me that I wasn't on him because my form hadn't been good enough.
“Today, though, I've been in the zone and it's felt like everything used to be for me,” he continued. “It's amazing when you get here on a day like this and you have Tony and the connections trusting you with a horse like this, it gives you confidence. Hopefully this is a turning point, it's been a tough season but today means a lot.”
Trying the metric mile and a half for the firs time, Pakistan Star fell out of the gates and edged down on to the rails to slipstream his stablemate Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the second choice off his course-and-distance tour-de-force in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup H. three weeks back. As expected, there was no pace on whatsoever–the 1200m split was a dawdling 1:17.49–but Pakistan Star always had the front-runner in his sights, and when Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready) rolled up three wide on the turn, Berry pressed the button and was alongside Exultant as heads were turned for home. From there, it was academic, even if Pakistan Star felt a crack of the whip inside the final furlong, as he finished his final 400m in :21.70 to post a convincing success. Gold Mount (GB) (Excellent Art {GB}), runner-up to Pakistan Star in the QE II, ran on smartly from the tail to complete a Cruz-trained 1-2-3.
The conditioner confirmed Pakistan Star would be put away for the rest of the year, with the International Races in December his next major objective.
“It's going to be an all-domestic programme I think,” Cruz said. “The fact he sees out 2400m means that we could consider the [G1 Longines Hong Kong] Vase, but the [G1 Longines Hong Kong] Cup is the biggest race in Hong Kong and he might be the best horse here. I think the 2000m suits him better, too.”
WATCH: Pakistan Star doubles his Group 1 tally Sunday
Pedigree Notes:
Bred by Gestut Wittekindshof, Pakistan Star caught the eye of the HKJC's Mark Richards at the 2014 Arqana August Yearling Sale and plucked him out for €180,000. Despite rogue antics at the HKIS breeze-up, he realised a nice profit for the Club, selling for HK$6 million, and was turned over to Cruz. The winner's dam is a multiple stakes-winning daughter of Group 1 winner Next Gina, while third dam Night Petticoat won the 1996 G2 Preis der Diana and was responsible for highweight and 2002 G1 Deutsches Derby hero Next Desert (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire}) as well as four other black-type earners. A Mastercraftsman (Ire) half-sister to Pakistan Star fetched €235,000 from Bertrand Le Metayer at last year's BBAG September Yearling Sale–third-highest price at the auction–and Nina Celebre foaled a filly from the first crop of Golden Horn (GB) in 2017 that is set to be consigned to this year's Tattersalls October Sale by Stauffenberg Bloodstock. Pakistan Star is one of 19 individual top-level scorers for his sire, a son of the late Giant's Causeway. Other Group 1-winning sons of Shamardal in Hong Kong include Able Friend (Aus) and Dan Excel (Ire).
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
STANDARD CHARTERED CHAMPIONS & CHATER CUP-G1, HK$10,000,000 (£951,278/€1,085,406/A$1,681,286/US$1,274,290), Sha Tin, 5-26, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:27.42, gd/fm.
1–PAKISTAN STAR (GER), 126, g, 5, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Nina Celebre (Ire) (MSW-Ger, SP-Ity), by Peintre Celebre
2nd Dam: Next Gina (Ger), by Perugino
3rd Dam: Night Petticoat (Ger), by Petoski (GB)
'TDN Rising Star' (€180,000 Ylg '14 ARQAUG; HK$6,000,000 HRA '16 HKIS). O-Kerm Din; B-Gestut Wittekindshof; T-Tony Cruz; J-Tommy Berry; HK$5,700,000. Lifetime Record: 16-5-5-0, HK$35,656,200. Click for the eNicks report & five-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–Exultant (Ire), 126, g, 4, Teofilo (Ire)–Contrary (Ire), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). O-Eddie Wong Ming Chak; B-Ballygallon Stud Limited; T-Tony Cruz; HK$2,200,000.
3–Gold Mount (GB), 126, g, 5, Excellent Art (GB)–Dolcetto (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (10,000gns Ylg '14 TATOCT). O-Pan Sutong; B-Mrs L H Field; T-Tony Cruz; HK$1,000,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 2 3/4, 1. Odds: 7-10, 12-5, 29-5.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Also Ran: Eagle Way (Aus), Chemical Charge (Ire).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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