Super Charge revels yet again in rain
For those with long memories, yesterday's rain-soaked Sha Tin programme might have pointed auspiciously towards a success for 24-1 chance Super Charge in the sixth event. The key words there are 'long memories'.
It was just over six years ago when Super Charge debuted for David Hayes in a straight 1,000m race for griffins. The date was May 4, 2003 and the heavens opened prior to the opening race, rendering Sha Tin to a swamp-like state in a matter of minutes.
Super Charge, ridden by Craig Williams, splashed through the atrocious conditions that day, and yesterday's set of circumstances replicated conditions almost perfectly, even getting the same result. Super Charge, these days prepared by Hayes' long-time lieutenant Almond Lee Yee-tat, sat wide throughout in a blinding rainstorm but revelled in the conditions.
The eight-year-old turned for home literally going half pace, even though he was six wide without cover. If jockey Mark du Plessis wasn't soaking wet and unable to see, he might even have called it an armchair ride.
'A big thanks to Almond Lee again, I've been getting great support from him,' said Du Plessis. 'Almond said that I should probably try and lead on him so that he wouldn't go too fiercely for me, but that was never an option because they simply went too quickly for him, so we had to find his place just off the speed.
'We had drawn barrier 14 and, by that stage, it really didn't matter sitting out in the middle of the track, he was better out there than in behind them getting the kickback.
'Fortunately, Super Charge knew what he was doing ... for a lot of the race, I couldn't see because of the rain,' the jockey added.
Super Charge has been a good servant of the yard, even though the son of former Caulfield Cup winner, Fraar, has won just six races across those six years.
'He's a very honest horse and if you look at the number of placings [14 seconds and five thirds] he's run, you'll see he's given his owners a lot of run,' Lee said. 'Today, we were very lucky... lucky to have a horse that could handle these conditions, and lucky to draw a wide barrier.'
