Latest news with #AlexisBadel
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Mark Newnham confident ‘fantastic' Spicy Gold can continue consistent Happy Valley streak
Spicy Gold (purple colours) gets up close to home at Happy Valley in March. Photos: Kenneth Chan Mark Newnham is hoping his ultra-consistent Spicy Gold can collect another cheque in the Class Three Seine Handicap (1,200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Alexis Badel has built up a brilliant partnership with Newnham's So You Think galloper, who has won three of his nine starts this season. After ending last campaign with a Class Four course and distance win, Spicy Gold has gone from strength to strength this term, doubling up on return in the same grade. He completed a track and trip Class Four hat-trick on his next start, lashing down the outside in taking style after a patient ride from Badel. Spicy Gold gets there! Mark Newnham's galloper returns a fourth course and distance win with @AlexisBadel, capping a double for the trainer tonight... 🔥#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 5, 2025 After two seconds in Class Three company, he broke through at the fifth attempt, once again diving late after sitting on the shoulder of the leader throughout the journey. Spicy Gold will arrive on the back of another good second and Newnham does not see any reason the good times will not keep rolling. 'He's probably the most consistent horse in my stable – he hasn't missed a cheque all season, winning four times since July,' said Newnham. 'He's finished second three times too and even when he didn't place, he still collected some prize money. 'He's been fantastic all season [and] for all that now he probably has found his right mark on 75. Three of his wins have been in Class Four so to be on 75 and only winning in Class Three once, he's probably near the peak of his powers. HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Mark Newnham celebrates after Spicy Gold's most recent Happy Valley win. 'He's got some gate speed so he can put himself in a good position from a decent draw. He's not showing me any signs that he won't hold his form again and he's in a nice race against horses similar to him.' Newnham also runs Tactical Command in the Class Four Ciron Handicap (1,200m), who has snared a pair of wins this season over the track and trip. He arrived fast and late to grab both of those wins, most recently when saluting at $12 with a strong late surge under Badel. Things have not gone to plan since, with barriers 11 at Sha Tin and 12 at the Valley putting paid to his chances before the gates had even opened. Tactical Command goes over the top to win at the Valley in March. Much to the relief of Newnham, his Charm Spirit gelding has drawn barrier four this Wednesday, which is giving him plenty of cause for optimism. 'The draw makes a big difference. The statistics tell you that it's nearly impossible to win from stall 12 at the Valley so he was always up against it last time,' said Newnham. 'He's won four races, with the draws being one, one, two and four for those, so that tells you how crucial the draw is for him. Trainer Mark Newnham has built up a good partnership with jockey Alexis Badel. 'He doesn't have enough pace to go forward from outside draws, but when he draws inside he can take up a nice position. 'The handicapper has him pegged pretty well with where he's at – he's certainly improved this season but has paid for his consistency. 'That said, he's got a good chance because he's holding his form well and has drawn in the perfect place – inside barriers are absolutely crucial to him. 'Alexis Badel's strike rate for the stable has been excellent, he rides Happy Valley well and gets on well with him, so that helps too.'
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Californiatotality digs deep for fifth win of the season as Tony Cruz hits another milestone
Californiatotality (inside) and Alexis Badel get on top late to win at Happy Valley. Photo: Kenneth Chan The impressive Californiatotality continued his march up the ratings with his fifth win of the campaign at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. In a well-run Class Two Choi Hung Handicap (1,650m), Tony Cruz's improver sat midfield under Alexis Badel behind the pace set by Telecom Fighers and stalking $2 favourite Soleil Fighter. Badel was hard at work against the rail at the end of the back straight and Californiatotality looked in trouble, but the Zoustar gelding responded well to his urgings and once in the clear, he scuttled up the rail to beat Soleil Fighter by a neck. And bigger targets could now await the four-year-old, who ran in two legs of this year's Classic Series. Tony Cruz double at Happy Valley! ✌️ Five wins this season for the 4YO by Zoustar, who captures consecutive Class 2s with @AlexisBadel in the plate...#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025 'He's a versatile horse – this distance was a bit short but he had a good gate and had every chance to win,' said Cruz. 'His next run will be in the Group Three Premier Plate on June 22 at Sha Tin over 1,800m. There's nowhere else to go with the horse – 1,800m is the perfect distance for him.' The win means Californiatotality is two-from-two at Class Two level and he has the same record under jockey Badel, who was full of praise for his willing partner. 'He's lovely. He actually surprised me. I didn't have such [high] expectation and he did very well,' said Badel. HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. 'He had a good draw [in barrier two], so I had cover and he travelled lovely and waited for a signal and he quickened when I needed him to do it. It was a promising win.' Too good, Tony Cruz! 🍾 That's 500 wins at Happy Valley as a trainer for Hong Kong's legendary horseman as Hong Kong International Sale graduate Kingly Demeanor makes all in the opener with Keith Yeung... #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025 The win was part of a double for Cruz, with Kingly Demeanor winning the opening Class Five Yue Wan Handicap (1,800m) to give the trainer his 500th winner as a handler at the city circuit. Keith Yeung Ming-lun took the speedy five-year-old to the front soon after the break and never looked back, making all the running for a cosy victory. It was another landmark for Cruz soon after he rung up a combined 2,500 Hong Kong wins as a jockey and trainer – not that the 68-year-old keeps count. 'It's great to get to 500,' Cruz said. 'This is where I started my career and I've had a lot of winners here as a jockey and trainer, so it's great. 'I had no idea I was close to 500 wins, so thank you for keeping count.' Ricky Yiu's Sure Joyful strikes a second win this term! Matthew Poon's productive season continues with a 33rd success for the campaign... 🔥#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 14, 2025 Meanwhile, Ricky Yiu Poon-fai and Matthew Poon Ming-fai teamed up for a double with Sure Joyful and Hayday saluting. Their good night kicked off with Sure Joyful's gutsy win in the Class Four Wu King Handicap (1,650m), fending off a stern late challenge from Midori Fuji. And things got even better later on the card when Hayday crossed over from stall 10 and made all the running in the second section of the Class Four Tin Sau Handicap (1,200m). It continued an exciting period for jockey Poon, who will fly to Australia to ride Klondike in the Group One Doomben Cup (2,000m) on May 24 for joint-trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton. Jockey Lyle Hewitson also got in on the act with his own double on Wednesday night, first riding Season's Wit through the field to win the Class Three Choi Wan Handicap (1,000m) before striking on King Lotus for trainer Mark Newnham in the first section of the Tin Sau Handicap. Newnham himself slotted a double in the final race when Crimson Flash kept on kicking to win the Class Three Hoi Lai Handicap (1,200m).
South China Morning Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Alexis Badel hopes Californiatotality can carry hot Sha Tin form over to Happy Valley
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 — 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 — 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.
