Horse of Fortune Best In Premier Plate as Pakistan Star Refuses

Horse of Fortune | HKJC photo

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Those who backed 'TDN Rising Star' Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal) into 1.2 (1-5) favouritism saw their tickets go up in smoke less than 200m into the running of Sunday's G3 Premier Plate H. when the talented, but single-minded 4-year-old decided he wanted to take the afternoon off and pulled himself up despite the urgings of jockey Joao Moreira.

“He wanted to stop,” said a frustrated Joao Moreira immediately after weighing-in and after Pakistan Star completed the course–a full minute after his rivals. “I urged him and tried hard to get him running but he just didn't want to go!”

Thus, it was the hard-knocking Horse of Fortune, bred in South Africa, trained and ridden by a South African, who proved the major beneficiary with a dash up the fence to give Callan Murray a fourth Hong Kong win. Two of them have come at Group 3 level.

“He was really tough in the running,” said Murray. “I did have a pretty smooth run from the jump and just went up on the fence, I didn't want to lose too much ground coming out and he went smooth to the line.”

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
PREMIER PLATE H.-G3, HK$3,000,000 (£303,734/€345,011/A$510,053/US$384,663), 3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:48.09, gd/fm.
1–@HORSE OF FORTUNE (SAF), 130, g, 6, by Stronghold (GB)
1st Dam: Sweet Virginia (SAf) (MGSW-SAf), by Casey Tibbs (Ire)
2nd Dam: Millie Bovana (SAf), by Royal Prerogative (GB)
3rd Dam: Modern Millie (SAf), by Oligarchy
(R150,000 Ylg '12 CAPJAN). O-Fantastic Five Syndicate; B-Northfields Stud (Pty) Ltd; T-Tony Millard; J-Callan Murray; HK$1,710,000. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP-SAf, 32-9-5-2, HK$10,245,955. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Romantic Touch (Aus), 130, g, 6, Northern Meteor (Aus)–Dearness (Aus), by Snippets (Aus). O-Ming Shui Sum & Alice Ming; B-Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Tony Cruz; HK$660,000.
3–Harbour Master, 126, g, 7, Mizzen Mast–Geographic, by Empire Maker. O-Mr & Mrs Chow Kay Yiu; B-Millsec Ltd (KY); T-John Moore; HK$345,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, 3 3/4. Odds: 11-1, 14-1, 12-1.
Also Ran: Eastern Express (Ire), Pakistan Star (Ger). Scratched: Anticipation (Ire).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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