Tony Cruz has more than his share of stars in the yard at present and the three principals in that category were all on show at the turf barrier trials held at Sha Tin earlier this week - Silent Witness, Lucky Owners and Bullish Luck.
Cruz has a strong hand in the QEII Cup this year with Lucky Owners and Bullish Luck, who each looks bang-on target to perform to their best, judging by their turf trials down the outside of the straight 1,000 metres course. Derby winner Lucky Owners has come out of his last triumph very well indeed, and came through to win the fifth heat of the morning in a time of 58.7 seconds. It was yet another solid piece of work and he remains in tip-top order.
CSL Hong Kong Gold Cup winner Bullish Luck did not win the sixth trial, but Felix Coetzee could have if he had allowed him a little more rein. He cruised up to Maranello in the final furlong and only failed by a short head to win, but clearly had plenty left in reserve. He looks fit and well and his work in general has been faultless.
Hong Kong Sprint winner Silent Witness finished third in the fourth trial, which was clearly the quickest of the morning with winner Cheerful Fortune clocking 57.3 seconds over the straight 1,000 metres. Coetzee was by no means hard on Silent Witness, who went through the motions in a professional manner. The unbeaten sprinter looks set to create history by recording his 11th consecutive win in the third leg of the sprint series on April 25.
Few horses are as impressive as Cheerful Fortune in their work and the manner in which he hit the line in this trial was positive, especially as recent efforts had been below par by his high trackwork standards. Compared to Silent Witness, he travels far more keenly, but he is progressing nicely in his work and fitness. Gianfanti split Cheerful Fortune and Silent Witness, and has improved since his debut on March 7. His recent work has been solid and he looks in good order.
The third trial on Tuesday was run over the mile and went to Sanbenito, who hit the line with plenty of zest. He looks fit and has done well since his last run on March 24. The main one to note in the fifth heat won by Lucky Owners was My Chief, who extended nicely in the final quarter to finish fourth. He looks in tremendous condition and although he has enjoyed a resurgence in form this season, his winning turn may be far from over.
