By Alan Carasso
A career that has featured as many stops and starts as a post-race expressway journey from Sha Tin back to Hong Kong Island reached a pinnacle Sunday afternoon for 'TDN Rising Star' Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal), who punched through between horses entering the final 300 metres of the G1 Audemars Piguet QE II Cup and flashed home to scoop Hong Kong's second-richest prize by three resounding lengths.
It was a coming-out party two years in the making.
From day one, when he produced a last-to-first rally to post a highly improbable debut success, Pakistan Star has always had the inherent talent necessary to scale heights such as this one. Except over and over, he's proved his own worst enemy, dancing to the beat of his own drummer. Dating back to his under-tack breeze prior to the 2016 Hong Kong International Sale–where he fetched HK$6 million from businessman Kerm Din–Pakistan Star made it clear he intended on doing things his own way, damn the consequences. He nearly refused to work on that occasion, and that particular quirk had raised its ugly head again and again, both in trackwork and in races, forestalling a true opportunity for him to realise his considerable talent and for his worldwide fan base to revel in it.
As recently as nine days ago, he had to trial to the satisfaction of local stewards after his rogue behaviour was on display in the Apr. 8 G2 Chairman's Trophy. It took all of Joao Moreira's persuasion to keep Pakistan Star running that afternoon and somehow he managed to fly home to finish fourth. In the aforementioned trial, the oft slow-starting gelding made the running beneath Tommy Berry, but got bored or otherwise disinterested and nearly pulled himself up in the stretch before finishing with renewed vigour. Both Berry and trainer Tony Cruz, who went so far as to recruit the 'horse whisperer' Monty Roberts to work with the horse in December, insisted all would be well in the QE II Cup. They were not wrong.
WATCH: 'TDN Rising Star' Pakistan Star kicks clear in the QE II
As if his playing up weren't enough of a story line, there was even drama involving just who would be in the saddle Sunday. Silvestre de Sousa, who was in the irons for runner-up efforts in last year's Hong Kong Derby and for this event, was originally booked, but had to back out earlier in the week. Kerrin McEvoy was tabbed to replace de Sousa, but he was restricted from flying from Australia owing to an ear infection, and Cruz reached out to visiting jockey William Buick. Pakistan Star hopped at the break from gate one, but he was still able to ease onto the back of the pace, set ultimately by favoured stablemate Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko), but who was forced do some work to clear Japanese raider Danburite (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}). Last year's G1 Satsuki Sho hero Al Ain (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was well spotted early, while second favourite and 2018 Derby hero Ping Hai Star (NZ) (Nom du Jeu {NZ}) raced last but one with only Gold Mount (GB) (Excellent Art {GB}) behind.
Time Warp, front-running winner of the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup over the course and distance previously, was allowed to do his thing and took them down the back and into the turn, as positions behind were unchanged, even as the field bunched up entering the final half-mile. Time Warp led on the swing for home, but Danburite ultimately proved the fly in his ointment and the chalk was one of the first beaten. Meanwhile, Buick was patient atop Pakistan Star, praying for the gap to come and hoping his charge could produce his trademark acceleration. Both happened simultaneously at the 300m, and Pakistan Star put the race to bed in the next few strides before strolling home a comfortable winner. Gold Mount weaved his way through to complete a 1-2 for the Cruz yard, while Eagle Way (Aus) (More Than Ready) ran with credit in third. Ping Hai Star came down the centre to be fourth.
“He's showed his class today, he was very straightforward through the race, got a beautiful run and the only thing going through my mind was if the split was going to come or not,” Buick told HKJC's David Morgan. “As soon as it came, he was fast to go in there and won very well, he felt like a very fast horse.”
While the May 27 G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) is a logical option for Pakistan Star, Cruz may look further afield.
“I'll work out with his owner where else we might take him– Royal Ascot or something,” the local legend commented. “He needs racing, he's only had four races–he's had more barrier trials!”
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 those aforementioned antics at the HKIS breeze-up, he realised a nice profit for the Club 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. Pakistan Star is the 115th stakes winner, 59th group/graded winner and 19th individual top-level scorer 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), each of whom won the Champions Mile.
Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
AUDEMARS PIGUET QEII CUP-G1, HK$24,000,000 (£2,196,403/€2,525,042/A$4,047,211/US$3,058,828), Sha Tin, 4-29, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:00.21, gd.
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' *1ST GROUP 1 WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€180,000 Ylg '14 ARQAUG; HK$6,000,000 HRA '16 HKIS). O-Kerm Din; B-Gestut Wittekindshof; T-Tony Cruz; J-William Buick; HK$13,680,000. Lifetime Record: 15-4-5-0, HK$29,956,200. Click for the eNicks report & five-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–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$5,280,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Eagle Way (Aus), 126, g, 5, More Than Ready–Wedgewood Eagle (Aus), by Lure. (A$200,000 Ylg '14 INGEAS). O-Siu Pak Kwan; B-Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia Pty Ltd (NSW); T-John Moore; HK$2,400,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 3, 1 1/4, 1. Odds: 19-5, 33-1, 21-1.
Also Ran: Ping Hai Star (NZ), Al Ain (Jpn), Dinozzo (Ire), Danburite (Jpn), Time Warp (GB).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and sectional timing. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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