Amazing Star (NZ) (Darci Brahma) put a mishap in the gates behind him last month with an impressive win in Wednesday’s Class 2 Begonia Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley, securing Hong Kong’s champion jockey Zac Purton a double and his sixth win from the last two race meetings.
The brace moved him to within two wins of championship leader, Joao Moreira, who remained on 87 wins after drawing a blank.
“There were some very fast horses in that race and I drew wide, so I expected them to make me work a little bit but he just has so much natural speed – he seems to get there fairly comfortably and then it’s just a matter of getting him to switch off in the run and then for him to relax because he’s very competitive,” Purton said of Amazing Star.
The Darci Brahma gelding broke cleanly but was forced to settle wide throughout from gate 11 in the early stages before being able to slot in outside of leader, Moment Of Power (121lb). The five-year-old hit the front in the straight to record a three-quarter-length success.
“He’s so used to being in front on his own and he had to adapt tonight and I thought he adapted quite well – it was credit to him,” the Australian said.
Trainer Jimmy Ting was also pleased, that his plan had come to fruition with the gelding.
“If he didn’t break through the gates last time I think he would have won, but anyway, he needed to trial and in that he was lucky that the same leader was in the trial as tonight because I wanted to see if he could sit and chase a little bit which he did,” Ting said.
The handler suggested that his gelding had earned a break, after securing his fourth win this term off a mark of 94 after kicking off his campaign on 58.
Purton kicked off his double in the opener, grabbing the Class 5 Wistaria Handicap (2200m) aboard Garlic Yeah (NZ) (Savabeel) for trainer Dennis Yip.
