Mosse's horrific fall found to have been accidental
Hong Kong's racing stewards panel yesterday found Gerald Mosse's spectacular fall from Equator Kid on QE II Cup day to have been accidental. Mosse, who has yet to announce when he will resume riding, suffered facial injuries in the crash passing the 200 metres when Equator Kid clipped heels as he came to win the race.
After taking evidence from Shane Dye (Multiwinning), Glyn Schofield (Mine Host) and Mosse himself, stewards yesterday reported that: 'It was established for some distance approaching and passing the 200 metres, Equator Kid was attempting to improve on the outside of Mine Host, which was shifting out slightly and on the inside of Multiwinning. Equator Kid failed to establish rightful running and in the opinion of the stewards there was not sufficient room to do so. After the 200 metres, Equator Kid clipped the heels of Mine Host and fell.'
Ivan Allan was back in town and back in form as Joyful Spirit (Weichong Marwing) scored in workmanlike style in the ninth event. Allan had just stepped off a plane from London but was looking in good spirits himself as Joyful Spirits turned a copybook ride into a victory.
'It's nice to come back to a winner. In the past, Joyful Spirit has pulled up when he's hit the front early but he ran the race right to the finish and you can see that he is learning,' Allan said, then admitted he had erred in trying to make a stayer of the four-year-old. I was wrong to run him in the Derby, looking back. I thought with cover he would stay, but he didn't and he ran poorly. At least it hasn't hurt him.'
Double-winning trainer Andy Leung Ting-wah will be anxiously awaiting this morning's rehandicaps after Cheerful Fortune (Craig Williams) scored the most hollow win of the season yesterday. Cheerful Fortune cruised clear to win by more than eight lengths in the seventh event and ran good time on the rain-affected ground and Leung may be looking at the dubious honour of the season's biggest single ratings lift.
While Cheerful Fortune was making a name for himself, the bubble truly burst for his main rival, griffin graduate, Four Aces, in the same race. The nominal favourite for the Juvenile Sprint Trophy on June 7 had looked easily the best of the griffins this season but was a spent force on straightening.
'I'd have to say that he may not even run in the Juvenile Sprint Trophy after that,' said a disappointed trainer John Moore.
Leung's griffin Flying Kenny (Simon Yim Hin-keung) spreadeagled the first yesterday by 4.25 lengths, prompting television commentator Darren Flindell to wonder aloud whether this was the biggest margin of Yim's career. During Flindell's time the answer is yes, but Yim had beaten yesterday's mark twice before - on Hung Hing Tai (five lengths) on October 19, 1996, at Happy Valley and on 80-1 shot Eastern Saga (4.5 lengths) at Sha Tin in 1994. Unfortunately, the wide win cost Yim $2,000 in the stewards' room for an excessively exuberant celebratory gesture.
