Latest news with #BeautyWaves
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Beauty Waves salutes in stable debut for Tony Cruz: ‘I'm so happy this horse came over'
Talented sprinter Beauty Waves made the perfect start to life with new trainer Tony Cruz, banking a tough win in Saturday's Class One Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup (1,000m) at Sha Tin. Recently transferred to Cruz after four wins for Pierre Ng Pang-chi, the Irish import enhanced his reputation as a straight-track specialist when he proved too slick for strong opposition in Saturday's feature. Backed from $6.9 to $3.7 late, Beauty Waves was sent forward by Alexis Badel to race on the speed and fought on gamely to beat $3.5 favourite Wunderbar by half a length. 'I was expecting him to run a big race,' Cruz said of the five-year-old, who won the Group Three National Day Sprint (1,000m) for Ng and Badel in October. Beauty Waves is a winner again! The Starspangledbanner speedster defeats Wunderbar in the Class 1 Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup for @AlexisBadel and Tony Cruz at Sha Tin... 🏆 @Beautystablehk #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 28, 2025 'I wasn't really confident about the horse winning the race, but he showed today he's got some ability and I believe I can get better results. I believe he can win more races. 'I'm so happy this horse came over [to my stable]. I liked this horse from the very beginning - I've been watching him in the past. He's always a real speedy horse, like he showed today, and he won in good time. I believe he's a 1,000m horse.' Wunderbar launched a late challenge in the centre of the track but ultimately came up short, while Magic Control was beaten a length and a quarter in third. Cruz said Beauty Waves would be aimed at 1,000m features next season, while Badel was over the moon to hop back aboard the son of Starspangledbanner. 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. Jockey Alexis Badel and trainer Tony Cruz after Beauty Waves' win. 'It's good to be back on him. I'm grateful that Tony gave me the ride and he's a talented horse and it was just a nice win,' the French jockey said. 'I'm doing the best I can to give my horses every chance and today it was good to win in such a good race.' Beauty Waves capped a Sha Tin double for Cruz after his Australian import Gentlemen Legacy broke through at his fourth local start, claiming the Class Three Nam Chung River Handicap (2,000m) under Zac Purton.
South China Morning Post
20-02-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Dirt specialist Sword Point confirmed for Dubai World Cup meeting in April
Connections of dual Sha Tin all-weather winner accept invite to race in Group Two Godolphin Mile at Meydan by Jay Rooney on Thursday, February 20, 2025 11:34 AM Sword Point scores on the dirt on January 5. Photos: Kenneth Chan Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has confirmed Sword Point has been invited to race on Dubai World Cup night in April, with the dirt specialist set to continue his path to the overseas mission in Sunday's Group One Gold Cup (2,000m) at Sha Tin. Lor and owner Li Chi-pong have accepted the invitation to run Sword Point in the Group Two Godolphin Mile on the Meydan dirt on April 5. Unbeaten from two starts on the Sha Tin all-weather surface this season, the American Pharoah gelding's rating has soared to 111, prompting his trainer to search for suitable targets overseas. 'There are no more dirt races for him here in Hong Kong, so I need to run him on Sunday and then after, maybe he will trial before we go to Dubai,' Lor said. — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 5, 2025 Sword Point will join what is expected to be a strong squad of Hong Kong representatives at the Dubai World Cup meeting, headlined by champion galloper Romantic Warrior. Danny Shum Chap-shing's superstar is likely to tackle the Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m), but he has also been entered for the Group One Dubai World Cup (2,000m) on dirt. California Spangle, Invincible Sage, Howdeepisyourlove, Flying Ace and Beauty Waves have been entered for the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m), while Beauty Waves also holds an entry for the Group One Dubai Golden Shaheen (1,200m) on dirt. Sword Point was an explosive first-up winner this term when trying the dirt for the first time, before extending his unblemished record on Sha Tin's all-weather surface with another strong triumph last month. The six-year-old heads into Sunday's Gold Cup off the back of a last-start eighth to Chancheng Glory in the Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) on turf. He has drawn barrier eight and will be ridden by Andrea Atzeni. Lor's consistent galloper Happy Together joins Sword Point in the Gold Cup, with the Group Three victor fresh from a solid sixth in the Centenary Vase. He will again be ridden by Alexis Badel and jumps from barrier four in the 10-horse field, which is headlined by three-time Group One winner Voyage Bubble. Ricky Yiu Poon-fai's stable star bids for a third straight elite-level success after dominant displays in the Hong Kong Mile and Stewards' Cup (1,600m). He has drawn barrier one for Kiwi star James McDonald, who has just two rides at the Sha Tin meeting. Complications with a return flight from Saudi Arabia, where McDonald rides Romantic Warrior in the US$20 million Saudi Cup (1,800m) on Saturday night, forced the champion jockey to forego other rides on Sunday including Howdeepisyourlove in the Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m). Elsewhere on Sunday's card, Lor will aim to maintain Bottomuptogether's unbeaten record down the 1,000m straight when the talented sprinter contests the Class Two Citi Private Bank Handicap. Hugh Bowman replaces the injured Zac Purton on Bottomuptogether, who notched his fourth victory at start eight when scoring over 1,000m at Happy Valley last month. 'He's won twice down the straight,' Lor said of Bottomuptogether's Sha Tin 1,000m wins on his first two starts last season. 'The race should be run at a fast pace and that should be suitable for him. I don't want him to always go forward. If the pace is fast, maybe he can relax. He trialled last week with Hugh Bowman on and he trialled well.' In a strong field of eight speedsters, Bottomuptogether clashes with straight-track specialist Magic Control, Full Credit, Whizz Kid, Superb Capitalist, James Tak, Stellar Express and Healthy Healthy.
