{"id":2263,"date":"2019-10-24T00:00:49","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T16:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ctr-campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/?p=2263"},"modified":"2019-11-01T17:28:34","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T09:28:34","slug":"derby-talk-at-the-valley-as-playa-del-puente-impresses-moreira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/news\/derby-talk-at-the-valley-as-playa-del-puente-impresses-moreira","title":{"rendered":"Derby talk at the Valley as Playa Del Puente impresses Moreira"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
[vc_row el_class=”section-padding-top”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2016″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” css_animation=”none” el_class=”title”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/div>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2266″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Playa Del Puente prompted early BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) talk with a smart win in the Class 2 Green Luck Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley tonight, Wednesday, 23 October.\r\n\r\nThe March feature was top of the wanted list when the Danny Shum-trained three-year-old was purchased out of Michael Halford\u2019s yard in Ireland with a record of three wins from four starts.\r\n\r\n\u201cHopefully he\u2019s a Derby horse \u2013 fingers crossed,\u201d Shum said. \u201cHe needs to win one or two more races to get into the Classic Series but he was bought with the Derby in mind.\r\n\r\n\u201cThis win was especially good as he\u2019s a northern hemisphere three-year-old. He\u2019s improved for each race: on his first start here he finished well the last 400 metres, in a fast time, and last time Karis (Teetan) tried to put him in cover and he couldn\u2019t, but he learned a very good lesson.\u201d\r\n\r\nJockey Joao Moreira made the most of gate one and bottom-weight of 118lb to snag the lead and dictate the tempo, winding it up out of the back straight to shrug off the top-weighted race favourite and eventual third Not Usual Talent (133lb).\r\n\r\nThe 81-rated Elzaam gelding drew away to a three-length verdict from Happy Dragon (125lb).\r\n\r\n\u201cJoao asked for the ride and we were pretty confident he had a chance but Not Usual Talent also looked hard to beat, so the 15lb difference helped,\u201d Shum added.\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]
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Playa Del Puente opens his Hong Kong account.<\/p>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Moreira was taken with the bay, a Listed winner at a mile on his final start in Ireland back in March, who opened his Hong Kong account at the third attempt.\r\n\r\n\u201cDanny has to have the four-year-old series in his mind because of the way he\u2019s done that tonight,\u201d the Brazilian said.\r\n\r\n\u201cHe did it very professionally; he has to have his opportunities. It was very straightforward, he didn\u2019t fight me at all; he obviously got an easy run in front, I set a slow pace and picked it up from the 600 (metres) and nobody gave him a challenge so he was definitely the best horse in the race tonight.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe Four-Year-Old Classic Series kicks off in late January with the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), continues one month later with the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and concludes with the BMW Hong Kong Derby.\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2267″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Moreira made the most of the inside gate again when Le Terroir (129lb) continued his climb up the ratings in the Class 3 Speed Vision Handicap (1200m).\r\n\r\nThe Peter Ho-trained four-year-old had won three of his last four starts to ascend from a mark of 47 to 72 for this evening\u2019s test. Le Terroir made all to win by a length at odds of 1.7.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt looks like he has another win in him. Since I got on him he hasn\u2019t taken a step backward. He\u2019s always improving and it\u2019s an amazing job that Peter has done with him,\u201d Moreira said.\r\n\r\n\u201cI had a conversation with him a long time ago and he told me this was a horse I should keep in mind and he was right. Two runs for the season, two wins, and like last time he looked impressive. How many points he still has in him is hard to predict but I do think there\u2019s more in him.\u201d\r\n\r\nHo left with a brace too as Dylan Mo\u2019s 3lb claim came in handy aboard the top-rated Very Rich Man (130lb) in the Class 4 Windicator Handicap (1200m).\r\n\r\nPositive Sanna strikes twice for Yiu<\/strong>\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2268″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Alberto Sanna and Ricky Yiu capped a double together when Speedy King took the Class 2 Ivictory Handicap (1200m) at 50\/1, following After Me\u2019s success in the Class 5 Sir John Handicap (1000m).\r\n\r\nThe Italian rider now has five wins on the board this season, with the Douglas Whyte stable providing the other three.\r\n\r\n\u201cI wasn\u2019t getting much support apart from Douglas so to get two wins from another trainer is very nice, I\u2019m really happy. Ricky has been very good to me to give me these two rides today,\u201d Sanna said.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s great to have a double and hopefully I can have more support from other stables. I\u2019m not a stable jockey \u2013 I\u2019m on a Club contract so I want to have more support from everyone.\u201d\r\n\r\nSanna endured a torrid time last season with two long spells on the sidelines due to injuries. But this term has brought a new approach.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s been very positive riding for Douglas because it\u2019s kept me very busy and I\u2019ve been riding nice horses. In this game confidence is everything and I\u2019m riding with confidence, you can see that today, this horse is 50\/1!\r\n\r\n\u201cI just delete last year, it was terrible and I\u2019ve changed many things. It\u2019s all mental changes and living more healthy \u2013 I pray to be healthy all season so that people can see how good I am.\r\n\r\n\u201cMy family helps me a lot and Douglas\u2019 family has also helped to change my mindset to be more positive, to put away the past and now I\u2019m working well to be positive.\u201d\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

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Speedy King holds Super Turbo in a thriller.<\/p>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Yiu is on a hot streak: the handler welcomed his 11th and 12th <\/sup>wins of the campaign, making it four from his last eight runners.\r\n\r\nBefore tonight, Sanna\u2019s only previous win for the stable was back in March 2018.\r\n\r\n\u201cRicky said to me in the parade ring that Speedy King can be unbelievable: you have to try because he tries very hard and he likes it when you really try hard on him,\u201d the rider said.\r\n\r\nAnother Italian, Umberto Rispoli, took the bull by the horns down the back straight in the Class 4 Flying Elite Handicap (1650m), rousting Enjoy Life (123lb) from seventh to first between the 700 and 600-metre points. But Chad Schofield was wise to the move, tracking smoothly aboard the Richard Gibson-trained Right Honourable (133lb) who battled past Rispoli\u2019s mount to score by a neck.\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2269″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After watching his smart young gallopers Classic Unicorn and Mr Croissant turned over as race favourites on Sunday, Chris So was pleased to bag a double. The trainer kicked off the night with victory in the opening Class 5 Glory Star Handicap (1650m) when Karis Teetan drove Wonderful Tiger to a first Hong Kong success at his 28th start.\r\n\r\nSo followed up in the Class 4 LONGINES Cup Handicap (1200m) when Zac Purton steered 2.1 favourite Happy Time to a first win at the 15th attempt.\r\n\r\nGrant van Niekerk lifted the Me Tsui-trained Jolly Honour (117lb) to take the Class 3 Dordenma Handicap (1650m) by a neck in a tussle with the Regan Bayliss-ridden Surrealism (120lb).\r\n\r\nHong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday, 27 October with the first race due to start at 12.15pm.\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”2266″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Playa Del Puente prompted early BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) talk with a smart win in the Class 2 Green Luck Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley tonight, Wednesday, 23 October. The March feature was top of the wanted list when the Danny Shum-trained three-year-old was purchased out of Michael Halford\u2019s… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2263"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2299,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263\/revisions\/2299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/rising-stars\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}