Alexis Badel hopes Californiatotality can carry hot Sha Tin form over to Happy Valley

South China Morning Post

13-05-2025

The Frenchman rode a treble at the city circuit last month and aims to add to his strike rate with seven rides on Wednesday night
Alexis Badel is hoping tough four-year-old Californiatotality can keep the good times rolling for him at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
The Frenchman rode a treble at the city circuit on April 23 and topped up his tally last week by winning on Day Day Victory to enhance his recent strike rate.
And Wednesday could be another fruitful evening for Badel, who rides the improving Californiatotality in the feature Class Two Choi Hung Handicap (1,650m).
The Zoustar gelding has won four times this season at Sha Tin but was only half a length away from winning at the Valley in January, losing out to Speed Dragon in the Class Three Cleveland Handicap (1,800m).
Three-way finish! 📸
Californiatotality edges past Steps Ahead and Pray For Mir in a thriller under @AlexisBadel and Tony Cruz in the Class 2 Hong Kong Lions Cup... 🏆#LoveRacing | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/4Oi2iS5cSE — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 20, 2025
Most recently, he enjoyed a midfield trip in the Class Two Hong Kong Lions Cup (1,800m) and thundered home to deny a stacked field that included Bundle Award and the reopposing Helene Feeling.
That was only Badel's second race ride on Tony Cruz's galloper and he is confident of another bold showing.
'He ran a really good race at Sha Tin last time and finished off very strongly,' said Badel. 'That form looks strong and he ran well at the Valley in January on his only visit there this season.
'He is only a four-year-old so I think he can rate even higher yet – we have a nice draw to work with and he is on a lovely racing weight, too. It's a competitive race but I'm expecting him to run a very big race.'
Tactical Command does it again! Mark Newnham's sprinter scores back-to-back wins at the Valley under @AlexisBadel... 🔥#HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/FGQpMBrSvE — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 12, 2025
The 35-year-old also gets back into the saddle on Tactical Command, a horse he knows very well after partnering him to three of his four career successes.
The Mark Newnham-trained galloper has thrived over the course and distance in recent starts, whizzing home off a midfield trip to win the Class Four Kwai Chung Handicap (1,200m) three starts ago.
He followed that up three weeks later, once again having to do things the hard way from behind horses. Badel was hard at work a long way from home, but the five-year-old hit overdrive in the final 100m and was going away to win easily by a neck.
Tactical Command disappointed at Sha Tin subsequently, but Badel was not on board that day and he had excuses after he sat out the back in a race where nothing that travelled in rear managed to get involved in the finish.
Back at his favoured Happy Valley, where he has notched three victories, Badel is confident he can bounce back to his best.
'He has run really well at Happy Valley this season, both his recent wins he has shown a good attitude to come through late and win,' Badel said.
'Drawing stall 12 is never easy and I will have to speak to the trainer, but I think we will drop in and hope to finish off well again.
'He was a bit disappointing last time but he is definitely capable of bouncing back – I think he has a good chance.'
Badel also rides Wukong Jewellery in the final race for John Size, who is just one triumph away from being only the second trainer to reach 1,600 winners in Hong Kong.
Wukong Jewellery makes his local debut on the back of two runs in Australia, where he ran third over 1,300m at Sandown before winning second up over 1,423m at Sale.