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South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Light Years Charm goes whoosh again at Sha Tin: ‘it's hard to know what the ceiling is'
Light Years Charm cruises to victory under Zac Purton at Sha Tin on Sunday. Photos: Kenneth Chan Light Years Charm continued his march up the ratings and trainer David Eustace's impressive first Hong Kong campaign kept rolling during the season's first twilight meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday. Chasing back-to-back victories on Class Two debut, Light Years Charm was sent off the $1.7 favourite for the Lee On Handicap (1,400m), but there were a few nervous moments for his supporters and connections. Not known for being the quickest away, Light Years Charm found himself detached from the field after being squeezed between horses early. Still last turning for home but looming ominously, Light Years Charm barrelled home down the outside under Zac Purton to salute by a length and a half eased down. Light Years Charm goes from last-to-first with a BANG in Class 2 at Sha Tin! ✨@EustaceRacing and @zpurton combine with the smart 4YO by Rubick, who soars to consecutive wins... #SummerSeries | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 8, 2025 'It was a perfect ride. The horse actually did jump better than he normally does but he got squeezed at the start,' said Eustace. 'Zac took his time and assessed the pace up front and the horse lengthened really well.' In a race run well over a second inside standard for the final 1,200m, Purton bided his time before pouncing on his tiring opponents. 'It was a really good effort. He actually didn't begin that bad but the runner on the inside and the runner on the outside both shifted ground so that put him on the back foot, but I just left him alone,' said the jockey. 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. 'The other guys were busy running their 1,000m race and when they were finished doing that, I just chimed in at the 400m and ran the race like it should have been run.' Trainer David Eustace with Zac Purton and the jockey's children, Cash and Roxy. Light Years Charm's third Hong Kong victory will lift his rating into the 90s and Eustace is considering one more run before turning his attention to next season with the four-year-old. 'There's a Class Two [1,400m] on July 1 which is fairly tempting. We'll see how we go,' said Eustace. 'He'll definitely appreciate a break [when it comes] and I hope he'll get better next season. He's doing nothing wrong at the moment. 'It's hard to know what the ceiling is. He's only four and he's a big, raw horse. It would be wrong for me to put targets on his back. We'll see how far he gets. 'He's obviously going to have to continue to improve, but hopefully he can.' Zac Purton after landing a double at Sha Tin on Sunday. Eustace took his total to 30 winners for the season and with the stable operating in solid form, he's hopeful of finishing the term with a flourish. '[I'm] happy with how it's gone so far. They've raced well and consistently, and the team at home are doing a great job. We'll try and round the season out well,' he said. The victory of Light Years Charm completed a double for seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey Purton after his earlier success aboard the John Size-trained Ping Hai Comet in the Class Four Lam Tin Handicap (1,600m). It was a super training effort from Size to have his five-year-old ready to win over the Sha Tin mile just 11 days after breaking his maiden with victory over 2,200m at Happy Valley. Size left Sha Tin with a brace of his own thanks to the later success of Majestic Express in the Class Three On Yam Handicap (1,000m). The master handler is edging ever closer to his 13th trainers' premiership after increasing his lead over the second-placed David Hayes to eight wins with 10 meetings remaining.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
In-form sprinter Colourful King set to relish extra distance at Happy Valley
David Eustace believes the step up in distance could be the key to Colourful King's chances in the Class Two Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1,200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The Blue Point gelding has stuck to the minimum 1,000m trip in four Hong Kong starts, building on a promising Sha Tin debut with a pair of city circuit wins. He quickened up smartly in a pair of Class Three races, winning the latter Hong Kong China Rugby Club Handicap by an impressive two lengths. After travelling well in midfield, Colourful King sprinted powerfully to mow down the long-time leader Youthful Spirits and was going away at the line. Big win, Colourful King! 🚀@EustaceRacing's talented sprinter explodes to consecutive victories under @Atzenijockey in the Hong Kong China Rugby Cup at Happy Valley... 🏆#HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 9, 2025 That would suggest Wednesday's extra 200m would be ideal, despite Eustace have reservations about it previously. 'I think the distance will be fine – we probably wouldn't have said that a couple of starts back, but I thought his last run showed he would appreciate it and his trial was similar,' said Eustace. Colourful King will take on the likes of last-start winners Horsepower, Kaholo Angel, Stellar Express and Harmony N Blessed in a fiercely competitive feature contest to round off the card. The three-year-old won two 1,000m races pre-import and Eustace thinks the best is yet to come ahead of his fifth local start. 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. Colourful King wins a barrier trial at Sha Tin last month. 'He's relaxing better all the time and has a good draw [barrier four], but it's a tough race. He's trained on well so I'm hopeful,' Eustace said. Eustace has seven chances on the Valley programme, with his other big chance being Midori Fuji in the Class Four Shouson Hill Handicap (1,650m). He is yet to salute in eight local starts but has gone agonizingly close at the course and distance in his past two starts, losing out by a short head on both occasions. Eustace also has high hopes for Saturday's impressive Class Four Tin Sam Handicap (1,400m) winner Dazzling Fit, who doubled his career tally in style at Sha Tin. The son of Ribchester was settled in midfield by Luke Ferraris, sauntering into contention as the field turned into the home straight. It briefly looked as though the pair were running into traffic problems, but Ferraris angled out at the 400m and when he asked for maximum effort, the response was immediate with a sharp turn of foot carrying Dazzling Fit to the front 150m from home. While he still looks green, Dazzling Fit has plenty of scope for further improvement and Eustace believes he will be a horse to watch as a four-year-old – though he may not be done racing this season. 'It was good to see him do it again, he was carrying weight in a Class Four as a three-year so it was a good effort,' said Eustace. 'He put them away nicely and has pulled up great. I'm not honestly sure if he will run again this season – I'm leaning that way and he's come through that race as well as he could have done. 'I hope he's an exciting one for next season.' Eustace – who was Australia's leading trainer in partnership with Ciaron Maher in 2022-23 – has enjoyed a successful first season of training in Hong Kong with 29 winners.
South China Morning Post
06-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
David Eustace celebrates first Hong Kong treble at Sha Tin: ‘it's very exciting'
David Eustace celebrates the first treble of his Hong Kong career at Sha Tin. Photos: Kenneth Chan Regency Happy Star, Good Luck Babe and the brown-lamped Sea Sapphire deliver British handler a maiden three-timer in the city David Eustace's successful first season in Hong Kong reached a new high when the British handler scored his first treble in the city at Sha Tin on Sunday. Boasting several strong fancies among his team of eight, Eustace struck with Regency Happy Star and Good Luck Babe before one of his least-fancied runners pulled off a late plunge to cap the stable's three-timer. Sea Sapphire was brown-lamped late in betting in the Class Four The CUHK Alumni Cup (1,200m), firming from $28 to $13 before making all under Ben Thompson. A prolific Group One winner in Australia in partnership with Ciaron Maher, Eustace has made an instant impression in Hong Kong with 23 wins in his first campaign. 'It's very exciting,' Eustace said of his three-timer. 'I thought we were coming here with a strong team and probably our first three runners proved that, with two winners and a second [with Dazzling Fit]. '[Sea Sapphire] is a nice surprise. They've all raced well and consistently, so it's very pleasing.' Sent to the front from gate nine, Sea Sapphire kept finding to shrug off a determined challenge from the $3.2 favourite Akashvani. He scored by a neck as the first two home broke well clear of their rivals, with third-placed Lucky Archangel beaten just over three lengths. On his fourth run since switching from the Pierre Ng Pang-chi stable, Sea Sapphire bounced back from a disappointing last-start 12th at Happy Valley in January. 'To be honest, I thought he was coming into the race in good form,' Eustace said. 'His trial on the grass was very pleasing and a lot better than his trials on the dirt, where he doesn't really show his best. We had a setback earlier in the season just through health and his run prior to his last one actually had a lot of merit. 'Obviously I thought he would improve with the run, but the race set up really well and he got a beautiful ride by Ben. 'He's a horse who doesn't need too much training, he doesn't carry a huge amount of weight so it's just a case of keeping him fresh and well and healthy, which he is.' Thompson, who rode Sea Sapphire on his previous two starts before Sunday, wasn't shocked by the gelding's second career victory. 'It's no surprise for him to beat a handy field. Especially Akashvani, who was there with us the entire way,' the Australian said. '[Sea Sapphire] had 118 pounds, obviously for a very in-form stable, and he duly saluted.' Another stable transfer, Regency Happy Star, notched his third win from six starts for Eustace with a thrilling triumph in the Class Five Chung Chi Alumni Handicap (1,400m). Sent off the $2.5 favourite, Regency Happy Star had a cosy run on the leader's back from gate one for Alexis Badel and prevailed by a short head from Lucky Man. 'He's had a terrific season – he's just gaining confidence and relaxing very well now in his races,' Eustace said of the former Michael Chang Chi-wang and Tony Cruz-trained galloper. 'It's going to start to get a bit tougher, but hopefully we can have one more go in Class Five.' Good Luck Babe was the middle leg of Eustace's treble, leading all the way under Karis Teetan to beat Matsu Victor narrowly in the Class Four United Alumni Handicap (1,600m). Eustace wasn't far off winning four consecutive races on Sunday, with Dazzling Fit charging from near last to finish second to Top Throne in the second section of the Class Four New Asia Alumni Handicap (1,200m).
