Ocean Wide ready for more glory
Brilliant young sprinter Ocean Wide has been one of the discoveries of the new term, and the way trainer Caspar Fownes has spread his workload should ensure the well-bred four-year-old is ready to maintain the momentum when he next steps out.
Ocean Wide, handled by Derek Leung Ka-chun, made short work of the opening trial over 1,050m on the all-weather track at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning, telling Fownes loudly and clearly that he is ready to return to competition.
The New Zealand-bred brother to former Group sprinter Cheerful Fortune bounced to the front and shared the lead with another noted speedster, Island Speed, with Norman Invader working across from barrier 12.
Ocean Wide showed superior turn of foot after they straightened for home and kicked clear, holding a comfortable 11/2 lengths margin over Norman Invader (Matthew Chadwick). This pair showed clear superiority over the other 10 triallists, with Island Speed maintaining third place narrowly ahead of Ocean Wide's stablemate Natural Nine (Olivier Doleuze).
Ocean Wide has raced four times this term for three wins - all over the Happy Valley 1,200m circuit - and a third. His racing pattern is tailor-made for the city venue because he begins quickly, takes a forward position, relaxes nicely mid race and has a second kick left in him after heads are turned for home.
Ocean Wide is now on a 78 rating, meaning he should be handicapped at 131 pounds in a normal Class Three. But using Leung suggests Fownes is well ahead in the planning department and intends to use the 10-pound claimer when Ocean Wide next sports silk.
Norman Invader has been a disappointment. Despite being handled by a variety of top jockeys, his best effort was a first-up seventh and his last start under Brett Prebble was a lamentable 10th at Happy Valley on December 17.
It's been a tough one to work out for trainer Tony Cruz because Norman Invader has worked well most mornings, but the American-bred PP's final 100m was weak compared to Ocean Wide's.
Island Speed showed his usual speed but was not knocked about in the run home by Jacky Tong Chi-kit. The big chestnut, son of Flying Spur, now owns a 95 rating after winning seven of his 30 starts, so he's been a great money spinner for trainer Peter Ng Bik-kuen.
The future pointer from the trial came from Natural Nine, a handy middle-distance galloper with a 91 rating. However, the six-year-old was found to have bled for a second time after the work.
The second heat went to Sir Lago, an Australian private purchase who has tumbled from an 89 rating upon his arrival in early 2007 to have dropped into Class Five after his most recent failure on December 3.
The Encosta De Lago gelding showed surprising speed to be one of the leaders throughout before pressing on to lead by four lengths at the home turn. He kept on relentlessly to win by 51/2 length from a full-time cellar-dweller in Spy King (Jacky Tong), with the winning time of 1:03.59 being 1.53 seconds slower than Ocean Wide's.
Ocean Wide has raced six times for three wins and has earned more than: HK$1.4m
