Latest news with #InvincibleSage
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Helios Express digs deep to nail Invincible Sage in pulsating Sha Tin Vase finish
Helios Express (outside) rockets home to beat Invincible Sage in the Group Three Sha Tin Vase. Photos: Kenneth Chan After seven straight placings behind Ka Ying Rising, John Size's sprinter breaks through with narrow Group Three success Snapping a streak of seven consecutive placings behind Ka Ying Rising, Helios Express dug deep to chase down Invincible Sage for a heart-stopping victory in Saturday's Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m). Sent off the $2.05 favourite in his bid for a breakthrough success, the John Size-trained gelding launched a withering burst from last to deny $20 shot Invincible Sage in a bob of the heads on the finishing post. Hugh Bowman took Helios Express back from the outside draw in the field of 11 and was still at the tail at the 200m, as Ben Thompson made his move on Invincible Sage from midfield to shoot to the lead. Helios Express arrived just in time for a deserved win after five seconds and two thirds behind the world's best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, who was absent from Saturday's feature. Helios Express charges from the rear to overhaul Invincible Sage in the G3 Sha Tin Vase! 🏆 @HugeBowman #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 31, 2025 'Only just,' Bowman said of the short-head margin. 'I've had a lot to do with the second horse, Invincible Sage, and they both got the soft track conditions which suited both horses and you've seen them both run to their premium. 'My horse had to overcome the [on-speed] bias. I knew that going out but I was reluctant to change [Helios Express'] pattern because with the handicap, I thought he was well in with the 123lb. 'He thoroughly deserved it. He's been chasing the champ all season and with his absence, he was the number one seed and he came out in front.' A brilliant winner of last year's Classic Mile and Classic Cup (1,800m), Helios Express delivered Size his second Sha Tin Vase triumph following the handler's success with Courier Wonder in 2021. Switched to sprinting after his four-year-old campaign, the son of Toronado was runner-up to Ka Ying Rising in Group One features the Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m). 'He certainly deserves this win. He's tried very hard all season to win a decent race and finally he got it done. He found a race that was suitable for him,' Size said. Patch Of Theta, who was brown-lamped late in betting from $9.1 to $3.7, ran on strongly from second last to grab third, almost two lengths behind Helios Express. Multiple Group One winner Lucky Sweynesse ran fourth under top weight of 135lb. Size said Helios Express might not be done for the season, with a crack at the Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) on June 22 a possibility. 'I'll see what he's like at home. After his last start [when third in the Chairman's Sprint Prize], he showed me he really wasn't looking for a break so we'll see how he pulls up after this race,' Size said. After also winning Saturday's Class Three Tai Wai Handicap (1,200m) with Masterofmyuniverse, Size gained a bit of breathing room in his battle with David Hayes for the trainers' championship. With 60 wins, Size extended his lead to seven over Hayes, who struck in the Class Five Shing Mun River Channel Handicap (1,400m) with Lucky Man courtesy of a gun ride by Bowman. Trainer David Hall bounced back from Invincible Sage's narrow defeat to claim the following race with Ka Ying Attack, ending his long winning drought at 60. Mark Newnham and Lyle Hewitson also snared doubles, teaming up to win Saturday's two dirt races with New Forest and Talents Ambition, while Luke Ferraris chimed in with a brace of his own aboard Dazzling Fit and Tourbillon Prince.
South China Morning Post
06-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
David Hall on weather watch as Invincible Sage steps into calmer waters
A Group One winner on a yielding surface, continued rain will play right into the five-year-old speedster's hands David Hall's certainly not getting ahead of himself but Hong Kong's midweek wet weather is enough to get the trainer a little excited ahead of Invincible Sage's run in Sunday's Class One Kowloon City Handicap (1,200m). With plenty of rain around Hong Kong on Thursday and the prospect of more to come, Invincible Sage could get the yielding conditions that allowed him to post his career-best performance when winning last April's Group One Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m). 'We've been here long enough to know that with Sha Tin you need to see it on the day before you get too excited, but if I'm looking at the forecast, I'm excited,' said Hall. After failing to even run a place this term as Ka Ying Rising has taken the Hong Kong sprinting ranks by storm, Invincible Sage steps outside Group company for the first time in a year. Invincible Sage takes the Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1)! — IFHA's Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) April 28, 2024 The 110-rated galloper will carry 135 pounds but has gate one under Hugh Bowman in an eight-horse race featuring the likes of Lucky With You, Magic Control, Mugen and Taj Dragon. 'It's hard. He's a Group One winner but he did it in 1:09.33 and he's chasing horses now who are running 1:07.8,' said Hall. 'Unless he gets a wet track, you can't really be too tough on his performances. 'We thought we'd have a run at the handicap. With a little horse that's probably going to be difficult, but I think it's the right option for him.' Invincible Sage was one of a handful of Hong Kong entries for the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) down the Meydan straight on April 5's Dubai World Cup night, but the five-year-old's seventh in last month's Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) put paid to those plans. 'We put him in there and I thought if he was genuinely a chance to be very competitive we'd go, but off his last run I think without the wet ground he's probably just short of that class and I still want to have a horse left, so we made the decision to stay,' confirmed Hall. Also among Hall's eight runners this weekend is Encountered, who will be ridden by the in-form James Orman in the Class Two Carpenter Handicap (1,800m). Another galloper who recently took a step back from Group grade, Encountered could only manage eighth in a Class One over the extended Happy Valley mile last start but the return to nine furlongs at Sha Tin looks likely to suit the six-year-old. 'I've taken the blinkers off him and put the tongue tie back on. He was a bit average at Happy Valley the other day but he's put in a couple of really good runs, so hopefully he brings his best form,' Hall said. 'Once again, it's a handicap and he's up the top, so he's got to carry the weight, but he's a big horse and he's capable of doing it if he can find his form on the day.'
