The promise of a wet Taipa track and more wild weather has trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai confident Great Spirit can go one better than last year and take out today’s Macau Hong Kong Trophy.
With Macau’s turf course proper rated heavy after a massive midweek downpour and the possibility of more big storms this morning, Yiu is bullish about his seven-year-old’s chances in the 1,500m feature.
“He loves travelling and really enjoys soft ground. If he hits the front over the last 200m he will be hard to catch, and I think we are the best chance of the Hong Kong horses,” said Yiu, whose horse was second to Gurus Dream in this race last year.
Gurus Dream again travels across the Pearl River delta, part of a five-horse visiting contingent looking to uphold Hong Kong’s strong recent record in the interport races.
It is a local hero Yiu fears most, though, with Joe Lau-trained five-year-old The Alfonso returning to home turf after nearly causing a massive upset when second in the Sha Tin leg last month.
“He has drawn barrier one, which I think could be a big help on that track,” Yiu said. “He has already shown he is up to this level and the winner of the Sha Tin leg, Dashing Fellow, isn’t there.”
In-form local jockey Derek Leung Ka-chun rode Great Spirit in the race last year and jumps back aboard for the first time in three starts, with the gelding producing some surprising efforts on the Sha Tin turf at his last two.
“His best form is on the all-weather over here so the turf form is a good sign,” Leung said. “He goes into the race fitter than he did last year.”
Jockey Olivier Doleuze returns to Macau after he spent six weeks riding there earlier this year in preparation for his recent Hong Kong return and is keen to repay the faith of some of the owners and trainers in the jurisdiction.
Doleuze rides Divine Calling for Caspar Fownes in the feature but is also confident of his chances in the Macau Derby on James Moore-trained Kelowna Star, winner of the Four-Year-Old Prelude and Macau Guineas for the French jockey.
“The ground is going to be very wet and that will help my horse in the Derby,” Doleuze said. “I’ve never ridden Divine Calling in a race but I galloped him the other day and he worked well, but the worry for him is not only top weight but how he handles the ground. Wet ground over there is nothing like he would have experienced here or in Australia. It is more like a European track in how heavy it is.”
Doleuze is less concerned about Divine Calling drawing barrier 10 of 10.
“I think drawing outside is a good thing for him, it looks worse than it is in reality,” he said. “The key with this horse is to make him think he can do it – everything in the race has to be smooth.”
Seven races from Macau will be simulcast for betting today, including the Macau Hong Kong Trophy at 4:20pm.
