Win Bright Completes A Banner Day for Japan in Hong Kong

Win Bright | Horsephotos

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by Alan Carasso

HONG KONG–When Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) won the QE II Cup 7 1/2 months ago-in course-record time of 1:58.81–he was an unknown commodity and returned his backers 47-1 in defeating Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) by 3/4 of a length. There was to be no such financial windfall Sunday, but he confirmed his affinity for the Sha Tin 2000 metres, toughing it out to best a game Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a narrow decision.

Win Bright broke to his outside just a bit, but recovered to race with cover on the back of 2017 Cup winner Time Warp (GB) (Archipenko) rounding the first time. When Time Warp was finally able to cross and clear his brother and defending champ Glorious Forever (GB) as they turned up the backstretch, Win Bright was left with out cover for 100 metres, but got back into the sliptream passing midway. Now following the move of Glorious Forever on the final bend, Win Bright worked into the clear at the 500m and had aim on the dueling front-runners once heads were turned for home. Poking his head in front inside the furlong, Win Bright turned back a bid from Rise High (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) on his outer and found the line narrowly best. Magic Wand enjoyed the run of the race, same as she did in her last-start G1 Mackinnon S. win, but she was left a bit flat-footed in upper stretch. Blocked at a crucial stage, she kicked hard one in the clear and just failed.

“It went the way we were expecting,” said winning jockey Masami Matsuoka. “I thought the pace would be slow so I sat about third or fourth. I was really happy the way it went. It's a great honour to be representing Japan.”

A five-time group winner at home, Win Bright was exiting an eighth to Almond Eye in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) Oct. 27 in which he tracked wide and appeared to run out of steam in the final furlong.

Pedigree Notes:

One of 10 Group 1 winners for his sire, Win Bright it one of four winners from six to the races for his dam, who is also responsible for 2015 G1 Hanshin (Juvenile Fillies) S. runner-up Win Fabulous (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}). Summer Eternity is the dam of the once-raced Win Radiant (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and produced a filly by the late Deep Impact (Jpn) Mar. 31.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
LONGINES HONG KONG CUP-G1, HK$28,000,000 (£2,727,210/€3,227,098/A$5,229,719/US$3,576,655), Sha Tin, 12-8, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:00.52, gd.
1–WIN BRIGHT (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Stay Gold (Jpn)
1st Dam: Summer Eternity (Jpn), by Admire Cozzene (Jpn)
2nd Dam: All for Guelain (Jpn), by Jade Robbery
3rd Dam: Miss Guelain (Jpn), by Maruzensky (Jpn)
O-Win Co. Ltd.; B-Cosmo View Farm; T-Yoshihiro Hatekeyama; J-Masami Matsuoka; HK$15,960,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Jpn, 21-9-2-0, HK$50,906,130. *Full to Win Fabulous (Jpn), G1SP-Jpn, $717,278. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Magic Wand (Ire), 122, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)-Prudenzia (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (€1,400,000 Ylg '16 ARQAUG). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore; HK$6,160,000.
3–Rise High (Fr), 126, g, 5, Myboycharlie (Ire)-Lana Girl, by Arch. (€42,000 Ylg '15 ARQAUG). O-Au-dela Syndicate; B-Mme Marie-Claude Biaudis; T-Caspar Fownes; J-Vincent Ho; HK$2,800,000.
Margins: SHD, NK, NK. Odds: 22-5, 49-10, 11-5.
Also Ran: Furore (NZ), Edisa, Glorious Forever (GB), Dark Dream (Aus), Time Warp (GB). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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