Latest news with #ClassTwoCarpenterHandicap
South China Morning Post
11-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Ben Thompson maintains Hong Kong Derby ride on Bundle Award, while California Spangle presses on
Ben Thompson will again ride Bundle Award in the Hong Kong Derby on March 23. Photos: Kenneth Chan Ben Thompson will maintain the ride on Bundle Award in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), while three-time Group One winner California Spangle is bound for the Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) after his racing future came into question. Thompson has a golden opportunity to strike on his first ride in the city's most coveted race after booting home the John Size-trained Bundle Award in Sunday's Class Two Carpenter Handicap (1,800m). The Australian jockey, who has ridden in Hong Kong since February last year, was pumped to retain the mount and is confident Bundle Award will thrive stepping up to 2,000m. 'It was a huge result to get on the horse and to win on him was fantastic,' Thompson said of Bundle Award's fast-finishing victory by a length and a quarter on Sunday. 'He looks the right horse, he couldn't be in better hands with John Size and I hope it's meant to be. 'He was great at the 1,800m and especially he really showed versatility, the way he settled back on Sunday and showed a lethal turn of foot. Before that, he sat close to the speed and was three pairs back when he won his first in Hong Kong. There's no reason to suggest he won't run the trip out strong.' Bundle Award was handed a much-needed penalty of 11 points for his second triumph in the city, with his new mark of 86 putting him safely in the Derby field. The son of Shamus Award also won over 1,400m in January when ridden by James McDonald and up to 1,600m in three consecutive starts in Australia pre-import. Meanwhile, California Spangle led all the way to comfortably win a star-studded dirt trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning as he prepares for another clash with star sprinter Ka Ying Rising. Brenton Avdulla fired Tony Cruz's stable star to the front in the 1,200m heat and he kept on well under little pressure to beat last-start Sha Tin winner Invincible Shield. Connections and Cruz met to discuss the possibility of retiring California Spangle after his fading sixth in last month's Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m), but they opted to give him another shot to turn his form around in the Sprint Cup on March 30. 'He trialled just as good as ever – I'm happy with him,' Cruz said. 'We'll see. We're planning for the race at the end of the month – the Sprint Cup. The signs are good.' Quality miler Galaxy Patch warmed up for the Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m) on March 30 when he ran on strongly from last for third in Tuesday's trial. Size's Group One placegetter Helios Express, who will take on the likes of Ka Ying Rising and California Spangle in the Sprint Cup, was close behind in fourth. Group One winner Beauty Eternal, Ensued and Red Lion were under firm holds when they finished towards the rear in the same trial.
South China Morning Post
09-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Bundle Award rockets into Hong Kong Derby contention with barnstorming win
Talented four-year-old Bundle Award blasted into Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) calculations with a barnstorming victory in Sunday's Class Two Carpenter Handicap (1,800m) at Sha Tin. Needing a win to boost his rating and secure a Derby berth, the John Size-trained gelding delivered handsomely, rocketing home from last under Ben Thompson to score by a length and a quarter. With his rating to jump from 75 into the 80s, Bundle Award will leap into the field of 14 for the city's most prestigious race on March 23. 'He did very well. He seems to settle and relax and didn't seem to waste any energy. He had plenty of resources left for the finish,' Size said after Bundle Award bounced back from his last-start fifth behind Sky Heart. Bundle Award punches his 2025 @BMW Hong Kong Derby ticket! 🔥@BenThompson2102 gets John Size's galloper home from the back of the field for a first Class 2 win at Sha Tin... #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 9, 2025 'I think that he drew well last start – he drew gate one. Maybe that was no help to him. Anyway, today he showed us what he wanted.' Ridden patiently from barrier eight behind a solid speed set by $3.8 favourite Sky Heart, Bundle Award exploded down the centre of the track in the straight to comfortably account for Markwin. Like Bundle Award, the Cody Mo Wai-kit-trained Markwin was racing out of the handicap and the second placing could lift him from a rating of 76 into the Derby picture. Helene Feeling ran third ahead of Caspar Fownes' duo Lo Rider and Sky Heart, who look set to miss out on Derby starts after coming up short. Sky Heart, who copped pressure from Unbelievable mid-race, kicked clear early in the straight but was collared passing the 150m. The Carpenter Handicap is unofficially known as the Collection Stakes after John Moore persuaded Jockey Club officials to expand the contest's ratings band, allowing his import Collection to run a fortnight before the Derby. Collection saluted by more than four lengths and went on to win the 2009 Derby as the $1.4 favourite. Bundle Award's second Hong Kong victory, following his 1,400m triumph under James McDonald in January, left an impression on Thompson. 'It felt as good as it would have looked,' Thompson said. 'I was confident he would let rip when it was time to go. He was super. 'He's handled by a master in John Size. He's versatile. He's a lovely horse.' Thompson will be in the frame for his first Hong Kong Derby ride in what would be a huge opportunity for the Australian jockey. Master trainer Size, who maintained his lead in the trainers' premiership with his 37th success of the season, will chase a fourth Derby after previous success with Fay Fay (2012), Luger (2015) and Ping Hai Star (2018). Size and David Hayes are tied on 37 wins but the former holds the title lead with more seconds. Bundle Award won three straight races in Victoria last year under the name of Prince Prawn before he was bought by Hong Kong owner Colin Lo Chor-cheong. Future star!? 3YO Patch Of Cosmo upstages quality opposition again with a second Class 3 win at Sha Tin with @mattLchadwixk...#LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 9, 2025 In other Derby news on Sunday, Light Years Charm's late bid to leap into contention for the HK$26 million feature came up short. Chasing back-to-back wins and a boost to his rating of 75, the David Eustace-trained gelding could only manage third as the $2 favourite in the Class Three Tak Ku Ling Handicap (1,600m), which was won by Patch Of Cosmo. The other Derby hopefuls in the race, Liveandletlive and Top Gun, ran fifth and 13th, respectively.
South China Morning Post
08-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Caspar Fownes believes Hong Kong Derby hope Sky Heart can reach triple-figure rating
When Caspar Fownes makes a statement some may consider bold on one of his talented horses on the rise, it pays to listen more often than not. 'He's one that I believe has a chance to make it to triple figures and I don't normally get them wrong when I say something's going to hit a mark. If he's going to do that, he's still got over 20 points to go,' Fownes said. The galloper Fownes is referring to is Sky Heart, who can stake his claim on a late Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) berth when he tackles Sunday's Class Two Carpenter Handicap (1,800m) at Sha Tin. An impressive two-time winner in his first campaign last season, Sky Heart has bounced back from a fetlock injury in July and colic surgery in August to make a late bid for the city's most prestigious race. After a close fourth and a second on his first two starts this term, the Ardrossan gelding returned to the winners' list with a fighting performance over 1,600m on February 16. 'He's had a lot of problems, so I just hope everything is smooth from now on and he can show us what he really is capable of,' Fownes said. 'I'm looking forward to him stepping up in distance and up in class, but down in weight. The extra furlong looks good and it's going to be interesting.' Sky Heart drops 11 pounds to carry 115 on his first test at Class Two level, with lightweight jockey Lyle Hewitson booked to ride him for the first time. Rated 76, he is one of five four-year-olds in the Carpenter Handicap bidding to boost their rating to clinch a Derby start on March 23. Fownes boasts another of them in Lo Rider, who has had a luckless start to his Hong Kong career. The former Irish galloper has been held up for clear running at crucial stages, blew the start badly second up and was then hampered by a three-horse fall that left a trio of jockeys injured. He finally had a smooth passage last start but fell a neck short when second to Steps Ahead, who has since run a solid fifth in the Classic Cup (1,800m). 'I've got another horse in the race called Lo Rider and I hope this rain sticks around because then it'll be interesting to see how he can perform as well,' Fownes said of the galloper, who won on soft-to-heavy and yielding ground in Ireland. 'He ran enormous last start but I thought the track was pretty firm that day. He's probably a two-length better horse on a track with a bit of give. 'My two horses are going to get points because they are out of the handicap and one of them is going to carry two points overweight. We'll make sure we get the points.' Karis Teetan will ride Lo Rider, who is rated 75. Cambridge, Markwin and Bundle Award are the other Derby hopefuls in the Carpenter Handicap, which also features several older horses in strong form. Helene Feeling bids to carry his Happy Valley form to Sha Tin, having won the Group Three January Cup (1,800m) before a pair of placings at the city circuit. Encountered is a course and distance winner, Mr Ascendency won at the Valley two starts ago, C P Brave is a three-time course and distance winner and Winning Dragon comes off a second in the Group Three Centenary Vase (1,800m) and fourth in the Group One Gold Cup (2,000m).
