Latest news with #HongKongLionsCup
South China Morning Post
20-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Californiatotality bounces back from Derby defeat to land betting plunge in Lions Cup
Tough four-year-old Californiatotality landed a late betting plunge when he bounced back from his Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) flop with victory in Sunday's Class Two Hong Kong Lions Cup (1,800m). Brown-lamped late in betting from $16 to $6.2, the Tony Cruz-trained gelding notched his fourth win of the season after a fading 11th behind Cap Ferrat in last month's Derby. Camped behind a solid speed set by Voyage Samurai, Californiatotality looked in trouble approaching the turn when coming under pressure and failing to respond to Alexis Badel's urgings. However, he kept on willingly down the centre of the track to prevail over Steps Ahead and Pray For Mir in a thrilling three-way finish. 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 'I think it's the second or third time he's beaten that horse, Pray For Mir,' Cruz said after Californiatotality relished a light weight of just 116 pounds to win by a short head. 'Today you can see the lightweights are winning. It's a fast track today. First, second, third, even fourth – it was all the lightweights coming in. 'I think 1,800's perfect for him – light weight, even better.' While the strength of this year's Derby crop has been questioned, the form was given a little boost by Californiatotality, Steps Ahead and Bundle Award, who had excuses when a beaten $2 favourite in the Hong Kong Lions Cup. Jockey Zac Purton told stewards he intended to settle Bundle Award in a more prominent position, but the John Size-trained gelding's slow start forced him back to third last. The son of Shamus Award was disappointed for clear running between two runners near the 250m and had difficulty obtaining a clear run over the final 150m. Californiatotality notched his fourth win of the season and sixth overall from 19 starts. Cruz said the son of Zoustar will not make the leap to Group Three level in next month's Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m), but he could be a candidate for a late-season feature such as the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) in June. Cruz's likely Queen Mother Memorial Cup runners Winning Dragon, Five G Patch and La City Blanche ran seventh, eighth and last of 11 respectively behind Californiatotality on Sunday. Elsewhere on Sunday's card, punters were on the money again when the brown-lamped Moduleconstruction saluted in the Class Three Ngau Tau Kok Handicap (1,200m). Firming late from $23 to $10, the Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained gelding sat outside of the lead and kept on strongly under Lyle Hewitson to beat Super Infinity by a neck. Super training performance, Francis Lui! 👊 After setbacks, Moduleconstruction rolls to a third career win for connections at Sha Tin... @LyleHewitson #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 20, 2025 Moduleconstruction has overcome two major injuries – a tendon injury in December 2023 and suspensory ligament injury last September – to return to the winners' list. 'He's had bad injuries twice, but his last run [when fourth to Geneva] was impressive and I think today it's good for the front-runners,' Lui said. 'He likes to go out in front.' Meanwhile, Cruz was fined HK$15,000 on Sunday for breaching the Trainers' Handbook Regulation when 'during a compliance check conducted in his stable on February 25 he was found in his possession medication that had not been approved by the Club's Veterinary Departments'. Stewards also suspended Karis Teetan and James Orman each for one meeting for careless riding.
South China Morning Post
19-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Steps Ahead and Bundle Award bid to strengthen Derby form in Sha Tin Class Two
Steps Ahead and Bundle Award headline a trio of four-year-olds dropping back from the 2,000m of the Hong Kong Derby to contest Sunday's Class Two Hong Kong Lions Cup (1,800m) at Sha Tin. While there are questions about the strength of this year's Derby, won in an upset by maiden galloper Cap Ferrat, Steps Ahead and Bundle Award will be joined by Californiatotality in attempting to boost the form from the city's biggest race. Rubylot was the first four-year-old to reappear from the Derby, but he finished eighth of nine runners behind Divano last Sunday in what was more of a warm-up run for the Group One QE II Cup (2,000m) next weekend. Steps Ahead was sent out an $82 roughie in the Derby and was only beaten two and a half lengths in ninth, despite running into trouble twice in the straight. HISTORY AT SHA TIN! 👏👏@CWilliamsJockey wins the 148th @BMW Hong Kong Derby aboard Cap Ferrat for trainer Francis Lui over a fast-closing My Wish... #4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 23, 2025 The Francis Lui Kin-wai-trained gelding was a Class Three winner at the course and distance of Sunday's race in February and a solid fifth to Rubylot in the Classic Cup (1,800m) before the Derby. 'He'll be having his first run back from the four-year-old series. In the Classic Cup and Derby he ran quite well,' jockey Lyle Hewitson said. 'He probably should have finished closer if he had have got more room in the straight, so I was happy with him.' While Steps Ahead drops to a career-low 118 pounds on Sunday, the son of Written By has to overcome barrier 10 in a competitive field of 11. Champion jockey Zac Purton will partner Bundle Award for the first time, with the John Size-trained gelding fresh from a two-length seventh in the Derby. The former Australian galloper won his previous start, a Class Two over 1,800m, and a 1,400m race in January. 'Obviously he won well two starts back over the track and distance,' Purton said. 'He ran a nice race in the Derby, he gets in well into this race with a light weight [121 pounds] and he's drawn well [barrier three], so he'll be a chance.' Californiatotality will be out to bounce back from a his 11th behind Cap Ferrat on March 23. The Tony Cruz-trained gelding is a three-time winner this term, including two at the course and distance of Sunday's race, and could be dangerous with just 116 pounds. Alexis Badel will ride Californiatotality, who has drawn gate five. Elsewhere on Sunday's 10-race card, Hewitson will bid to repay the faith shown by Lui and Gallant Epoch's connections in the Class Four Tsing Lung Tau Handicap (1,400m). 'I erred in judgment last time, so it's nice that I got the opportunity again and hopefully we get back to winning ways,' the South African jockey said of Gallant Epoch's last-start 12th at Happy Valley when he faded after being pushed forward early to lead. 'He has become quite a funny horse. I don't think he's putting it all in but once he gets control of a race, then he's quite good. 'Hopefully he can do that again and be strong off the front. It looks a competitive race.' Gallant Epoch made all to brilliantly score by two lengths at Sha Tin three starts ago.
