By Michael Cox, courtesy of TDNAus/NZ
The Frankie Lor phenomenon continued in Hong Kong when the sophomore sensation again trained the first two home and produced a blowout result when Mission Tycoon (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) beat hot favourite Dark Dream (Aus) (All American {Aus}) in Sunday's Hong Kong Classic Cup.
The lure of Hong Kong Derby glory leads many owners to push horses better suited to sprint races into the 4-year-old series and despite a second at 204-1 in the Classic Mile Jan. 27, Mission Tycoon's presence in the 1800m second leg wasn't taken seriously by punters.
Clearly the Sha Tin faithful felt Lor was simply ceding to overzealous owner's wishes by entering Mission Tycoon in the feature and he went around unwanted at 91-1.
But once Mission Tycoon's jockey Derek Leung stole a cheap lead from a tricky draw and proceeded to jam the handbrake on down the long back straight, with Zac Purton taking a cautious sit back off the leader's hip on the odds-on favourite, the chances of another Classic Cup upset grew. Continued in TDNAus/NZ
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
HONG KONG CLASSIC CUP-LR, HK$10,000,000 (£996,186/€1,127,542/A$1,794,443/US$1,274,443), 4yo, 1800mT, 1:47, gd.
1–MISSION TYCOON (AUS), 126, g, 4, by Written Tycoon (Aus)
1st Dam: Lakemba Gold (Aus), by Made of Gold
2nd Dam: Currency (Aus), by Shalford (Ire)
3rd Dam: Penny Version (Aus), by True Version (Aus)
1ST STAKES WIN. (A$50,000 Ylg '16 INGFEB). O-Elite Leisure Syndicate; B-A G Tobin (Vic); T-Frankie Lor; J-Derek Leung; HK$5,700,000. Lifetime Record: 11-4-2-2, HK$9,778,150.
2–Dark Dream (Aus), 126, g, 4, All American (Aus)–Buchanan Girl (Aus), by Lion Hunter. O-Albert Hung Chao Hong; B-Miss J E Healey (NSW); T-Frankie Lor; HK$2,200,000.
3–Ka Ying Star (GB), 126, g, 4, Cityscape (GB)–Casual Glance (GB), by Sinndar (Ire). O-Leung Shek Kong; B-Kingsclere Stud; T-Tony Cruz; HK$1,000,000.
Margins: 1, 1, HF. Odds: 91-1, 9-10, 12-1.
Also Ran: Furore (NZ), Helene Leadingstar (Aus), Harmony Victory (Brz), Ho Ho Khan (NZ), Mr So and So (Aus), Red Warrior (Ire), Gold Chest, Sunny Speed (GB), Easy Go Easy Win (NZ), Green Luck (Aus), Solar Patch (Aus).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO.
Mission Tycoon is the 27th black-type winner for Woodside Park Stud's Written Tycoon, whose five Group 1 winners include 2016 G1 Golden Slipper S. hero Capitalist (Aus). Written Tycoon has been represented by 12 winners from 16 to race in Hong Kong. The dam of Mission Tycoon's 3-year-old full-sister Written Gem (Aus), Lakemba Gold produced a filly by Reward For Effort (Aus) in 2016, but passed away 24 days after foaling a Fighting Sun (Aus) filly at the age of 15 in 2017.
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