Fellowship close, but no cigar
Zac Purton was on very good terms with himself on the home turn in yesterday's Stewards' Cup, in which he rode runner-up Fellowship for trainer Paul O'Sullivan. But the Australian jockey later spoke in awestruck tones about the experience of racing against the brilliant machine that is Good Ba Ba.
'At the home turn, I came into the race thinking I had a chance,' Purton explained. 'My horse felt good and was travelling strongly for me - in most races you'd say travelling like a winner. Then I looked across and couldn't believe he [Christophe Soumillon] still had a double handful of horse on Good Ba Ba. What a horse he must be, incredible.'
Fellowship ran a career highlight in finishing second to the champion and gave assistant trainer Johnny Ho King-sum, deputising for O'Sullivan who is in New Zealand for the yearling sales, a 'huge thrill'.
'I'm very pleased for the owner and very pleased for the horse,' said Ho, a former jockey who invariably handles Fellowship in his morning workouts.
'He had an internal problem and was forced to miss the Hong Kong Mile in December. He then had no luck when he resumed on New Year's Day, but this was very satisfying, to run so well today. We've always hoped he would measure up at the big races like this.'
John Moore was satisfied with Viva Pataca's third, with the gelding now having filled the same placing in this race for each of the last three years. Moore said it's onward to the second leg of the stayer's triple crown, the HK$8 million Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup, which he won 12 months ago.
'We're happy,' Moore said. 'It was a replica of last season in the same race. Because I freshened him up and haven't been giving him as much work, the horse blew up a little bit after the race. He needed it and will be better now for the Gold Cup but as far as this race is concerned, it turned out as most of us thought.' Jockey Michael Kinane already has three Group One wins to his name on board Viva Pataca and said the star stayer 'felt terrific'.
'Good Ba Ba sprinted a bit too quickly for us but he still ran very well and the last part of his race was strong,' Kinane said.
'If something happened that Darren couldn't ride him in the Gold Cup, I'd love to come back for him.'
Caspar Fownes regretted having Green Birdie ridden so close - the Hong Kong Sprint runner-up was placed in the box seat by Oliver Doleuze, following playmakers Down Town and Egyptian Ra. The gelding failed to run on and finished seventh.
'As soon as he drew barrier one I was afraid that might happen,' Fownes said. 'It's simply not the way to ride him. We'd have been better off having drawn a wide barrier, so we could go back where Good Ba Ba was and save him up for a late sprint. Then we learn whether he measures up or not - at the moment, we're none the wiser.'
