Entering Sunday's G1 Hong Kong Cup, trainer Masanori Sakaguchi had but one previous Group 1 success to his credit courtesy of Eishin Sunny (Jpn) (Mill George) in the Japanese Oaks fully a quarter-century ago. Dispatched at odds of 37-1 despite entering the Cup with eight wins from 10 trips to the post, A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) dared his 13 rivals to catch him if they could. And they could not, as the gray trimmed 0.30 seconds off the previous stakes record set by Falbrav (Ire) in 2003.
Winner of his first five career outings in the lower grades, A Shin Hikari was a well-beaten ninth as the odds-on favorite in the G3 Challenge Cup exactly one year ago and went to the shelf. He employed run-them-into-the-ground tactics in his first three starts of this season, including the G3 Epsom Cup June 14 and the G2 Mainichi Okan Oct. 11, but found himself off the pace in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) Oct. 31 and weakened out late to finish ninth, beaten five lengths.
Pressing on to Hong Kong undaunted, but friendless in the markets behind defending race champion Designs on Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Jpn), A Shin Hikari jumped well and was second for the first 100 meters or so before taking up the running from Dan Excel (Ire) (Shamardal) as they raced into the first turn and got the opening 400 meters in an above-average :26.17. The legendary Yutaka Take allowed the longshot to stride further into the lead and had his rivals strung out over a lot of ground down the back. A Shin Hikari was still traveling strongly on the engine and gave those behind him something to think about with an internal half-mile in a sharp :47.22 and he held a daylight advantage turning for home. Dan Excel was more or less out of gas at the 400-meter mark, but Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), third the entire way around looked poised, while Blazing Speed (GB) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) was also winding up. Take kicked A Shin Hikari further into the clear with a furlong and a half to race and, though he began to tire late, he'd done enough to record the boilover. Nuovo Record scraped paint and was getting to the winner late, while Blazing Speed stayed on for third from Designs on Rome, who came on nicely, albeit belatedly, in just his second run of the season. It was the first win in the Cup for Japan since that aforementioned trio of wins in 2001 included one in the event by Agnes Digital (Crafty Prospector).
“The horse was in very good condition so I had much confidence going into the race,” Take commented. “The horse sometimes has a difficult temperament, but he's in good form so I thought he had a very good chance. Travelling to Hong Kong will be very suitable for him in the future.”
The winner's dam, a half-sister to GI Santa Anita H. winner Sir Beaufort, has an unraced 2-year-old full-sister to A Shin Hikari.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG CUP-G1, HK$25,000,000 (US$3,225,574), Sha Tin, 12-13, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:00.60, gd.
1–A SHIN HIKARI (JPN), 126, c, 4, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Catalina, by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Carolina Saga, by Caro (Ire)
3rd Dam: Key to the Saga, by Key to the Mint
O-Eishindo Co Ltd; B-K K Eishindo; T-Masanori Sakaguchi; J-Yutaka Take; HK$14,250,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Jpn, 11-9-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nuovo Record (Jpn), 122, f, 4, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Omega Spirit (Jpn), by Spinning World. O/B-Reiko Hara; B-; T-M Saito; HK$5,500,000.
3–Blazing Speed (GB), 126, g, 6, Dylan Thomas (Ire)–Leukippids (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (45,000gns RNA Wlg '09 TATNOV; 45,000gns RNA Ylg '10 TATOCT; 41,000gns Ylg '10 TATDEC). O-Fentons Racing Syndicate; B-J Sankey; T-Tony Cruz; HK$2,500,000.
Margins: 1, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 37-1, 8-1, 5-1.
Also Ran: Designs on Rome (Ire), Lucia Valentina (NZ), Military Attack (Ire), Dan Excel (Ire), Beauty Only (Ire), Criterion (NZ), Staphanos (Jpn), Satono Aladdin (Jpn), Free Port Lux (GB), Free Eagle (Ire). Scratched: Gailo Chop (Fr).
Click for the HKJC.com chart and VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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