A year to the day since his history-making Group One win in California, Michael Chang Chun-wai-trained sprinter Rich Tapestry lost no admirers with his close-up sixth in the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama yesterday.
Just for a brief moment in the home straight, Rich Tapestry gave Chang a whiff of the overseas glory he had achieved in the United States last year when he won the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, but short-lived though it was, the gelding was still only a length and a half from the winner, Straight Girl, at the judge.
"The barrier killed him," said Chang. "The jockey sat a little bit farther back than I expected. I wanted him to go forward from barrier one then take a hold and give the horse his second breath after the turn, not before. Unfortunately the horses to his outside came across and he got shuffled too far back. The horse has run on really well and he is unlucky not to have finished in the first three - he deserved something more the way he ran on."
Straight Girl finished third in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint last year behind Aerovelocity and Peniaphobia after a difficult run through the race and trainer Hideaki Fujiwara indicated she would have her final race start in the same race this year before bowing out for a stud career.
Chang said Rich Tapestry would also be targeting the Hong Kong Sprint. He had some consolation back at home when infrequent winner Big Four gave Brett Prebble a winning double when he chased down Sky Man to take the day's Class Three cup over the straight 1,000m.
"It's funny, he won over the straight course quite early in his career but soon after he started going to 1,400m as his trip and he hadn't been back to 1,000m for two years," said Prebble. "I actually thought it would suit him because he's a horse who does just keep galloping and they need to be strong over this course.
"Obviously it helped when the hot favourite came out at the gates but I would be willing to give him another go at it up in grade with a light weight."
