Unique Jewellery has class to defy curse of favourites
Unique Jewellery is set to overcome a wide draw and defy a poor record for favourites and give John Size his first Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin today.
The outright favourite has been successful in the race only once in the past 12 runnings since Mr Vitality scored at odds-in 1996, with Floral Pegasus getting money as the public elect two years ago.
That's an unusual statistic for a terms race, where favourites generally win a higher percentage than other races, but in fairness the winners have been well discovered just the same, and only Smart Kid in 1997 and Self Flit in 2003 have provided surprises at odds over 20-1.
Of course, none of that will be worrying Unique Jewellery, Size or Douglas Whyte as the runners go to post for a race which annually sheds light on the Derby prospects, though only Olympic Express and Helene Mascot have done the double.
Unique Jewellery has looked nothing but a high class performer - his record of five wins from eight starts would have read even better if not for a slow start and traffic problems last time out. He was unlucky to be beaten by Full Of Joy at the Sha Tin 1,600m.
But the positive of the defeat was the character that Unique Jewellery showed when he had obstacles against him, something that would have been tough to glean from most of his wins where his on-pace racing style has seen him out of trouble and having easy trips.
His previous run was just such a win and the best piece of form from any runner going into the Classic Mile when Unique Jewellery cleared out second-up at 1,400m in Class Two.
That tactical speed to put him into a race early is gold in big events, where luck in running plays such an important part in separating fields of quality horses.
With only Sunny Golf or Interchina Star likely to be looking for the front, Unique Jewellery should have the early speed to cross from gate 10 and then the acceleration to give others something to chase from the top of the straight.
If he does win, Unique Jewellery will not be the first Group One winner in the family - his dam, Aulide, also produced 2006 Australasian Oaks winner, Marju Snip. Indeed, the first four females along the bottom of the pedigree have produced Group One winners, and his grand dam Candide was the champion three-year-old of her year in New Zealand, winning an Oaks at 2,400m.
But this race is one of the better Classic Miles in terms of depth and certainly no pushover.
Thumbs Up (Christophe Soumillon), Kings Falcon (Weichong Marwing) and Legend Of Colour (Zac Purton) have strong claims, while the favourite's stablemate More Bountiful (Olivier Doleuze) simply keeps turning up and winning so that can't be a bad thing.
Unique Jewellery is a classy performer and, from eight starts, has already earned prize money of more than: HK$2.8m
