Australian-bred Excellent Proposal takes out Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin
Excellent Proposal (4 g Procrastination by Pivotal) rose to the top of Hong Kong’s four-year-old pecking order with an impressive win in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) on Sunday, the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series.
The victory also provided leading Darley sire Exceed And Excel (Danehill) with his 17th Group 1 winner.
Trainer John Size saddled two of Hong Kong’s brightest talents in the first leg of the three-race age-restricted series and they both sparkled, finishing first and second: Excellent Proposal bounced back to his budding best, while Lucky Express (Toronado) displayed his customary tenacity and vigor.
“I ran a few tests over him (Excellent Proposal) to see if there was anything amiss but I couldn’t find anything and I galloped on the Saturday and trialled him on the Tuesday there was nothing untoward going on with the horse at all – I was always of the opinion that he needed a race to switch him on,” the 11-time champion trainer said.
The son of Exceed And Excel won three races on the bounce this season ranging from 1400 to 1800 metres, before returning a weakening 11th-placed effort last start following a three-month freshen-up.
“He has a very good temperament, he is a very quiet horse and he probably just missed the competition – he hadn’t raced for three months and it looks like that is correct because today he savaged the line, he knew what he was doing and he was there to win the race,” Size said.
The Australian-bred chestnut arrived in Hong Kong as a PP on a rating of 75 and now will find himself entrenched in triple figures following today’s success.
“Early in the season in September and October I had to ask him for something to see if he was actually capable of running the distance and his last win over 1800 metres was the deciding factor that we should probably run him in the series.
“So, therefore I needed to give him some time off to recharge his batteries and get a bit of maturity and strength into him physically,” Size said.
Excellent Proposal positioned third-last under jockey Blake Shinn in the 13-runner contest, peeled wide under Australian rider Blake Shinn at the 300 metre mark to quicken decisively, clocking the fastest final 400 metres of the HK$12 million race in 23.39 seconds, on his way to an overall time of 1:33.81.
“I think at this point I am happy with the outcome so far and he’ll just continue on to the next two legs and hopefully he can be competitive in them as well,” Size said.
As for Lucky Express, the fellow Australian-bred was also posted close to the tail of the field along near to his stablemate but instead settled for an inside run, weaving into second place under Karis Teetan.
“You’d have to say that’s a pleasing effort from him, he’s had three runs over the mile and although he has been beaten in three of them he has acquitted himself in all three.
“Today with the luxury of a little bit of pace in the race he was able to settle and really go to sleep actually so therefore his sprint comes into play in the finish of the race he is able to use his power,” Size said.
The 94-rater has hit the ground running in Hong Kong with seven top-three efforts from nine starts, including one win and will most likely push on to the second leg of the series.
“At the moment I’ll have a closer look at the performance and the running of the race tomorrow but it’s certainly likely that he’ll run in the Classic Cup,” Size said.
The win was the second of a treble for John Size who earlier, claimed the Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 1200m) with Hot King Prawn (Denman) before Sight Success (Magnus) remained unbeaten with victory in the finale, the Class 3 Peniaphobia Handicap (1200m).
Bred in Australia by Holloway Equine, Excellent Proposal was bought by Bill Mitchell for $200,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Fernrigg Farm. He is out of the stakes placed Pivotal (Polar Falcon) mare Procrastination who is herself a daughter of dual Group 2 winner Dilly Dally (Rubiton).
Procrastination died in 2017 with her final foal being the unraced colt Potato Pete (Vancouver).
