Veteran galloper Easy Choice upstaged his more fancied younger rivals when he unleashed a powerful finishing burst to score a last stride win on the sand at Taipa last Friday night.
Ridden by Louis Corrales the eight year old starting at odds of 22/1 literarily jumped out of the ground to nail race favorite Irish Pearl (Breinell Yamzon) right on the wire to win by a head, with Golden Shooter (Luis Jurado) a half length back in third.
A son of Howbaddouwantit (USA) from the Jetball (AUS) mare Diamond Dust, Easy Choice in his prime boasted a rating of over 100 as a formidable Group performer on the turf. The gelding’s last major victory was back in January 2011 in the Group 2 Winter Trophy over 1800 metres on the turf.
Age and joint problems have led to slim pickings for Easy Choice in the past couple of seasons, and a surprise win also at big odds in an average Class 3 contest back in April on the sand was his first win for well over a year.
Trainer Steven Chow who has had the gelding right from day one has switched back to the all weather in recent starts for Easy Choice with positive results. With the sand more forgiving on the old timer’s legs the gelding has now posted two wins and two placed efforts in his last five runs on the surface.
Steven Chow purchased Easy Choice as a yearling from the Karaka Sales for owners Chan Chuen and Tong Yiu Ming with his record now standing at 11 wins and 9 placed efforts from his 59 starts, with $3 million HKD won in stakes money.
“He has been a great old horse and that was just a terrific win.” Chow said
“He has had a lot of leg problems as he got older and last year we took some chips out of his fetlock.”
“The owners have been very supportive with him and now he is giving something back again to them.”
Steven Chow is something of a quiet achiever who goes about his business without any fanfare and does a fine job with not a big team, always ending the season in the higher bracket of trainers consistently producing on average 20 to 30 winners per season.
* LOCAL rider Horace Lam bounced back to form with a winning double on Friday night’s sand card to take riding honors for the night.
Lam has found things a bit quiet since returning from a lengthy suspension in June and Friday nights double could be just the tonic he needs to get his career back on track.
American import Haifeng Spirit was the first of Lam’s winners with a strong all the way win in the Class 4 & 5 over 1600 metres.
The four year old son of USA stakes-winner Count The Time was set alight out of the gates by Lam to take command of the race soon after the start and from then was rated to a nicety before dashing away for an easy win over Good Lucky (Peter Ho), with Rigid Alloy (Breinell Yamzon) in third.
Prepared by K C Hoi, Haifeng Spirit has really started to put it all together since being stepped up in distance by trainer Hoi with two second placed efforts prior to Friday nights win.
Biggest win of the night was by the Irish import Power Speedy who bolted away under Horace Lam at the top of the straight to destroy his rivals in the last of the night the Class 3 & 4 over 1350 metres.
Prepared by Louis Ho, Power Speedy had not raced since early April when he pulled up with leg problems and was sent for a six week break by Ho.
The son of Refuse To Bend had won two races on the all weather at Wolverhampton in the UK prior to being imported to Macau, and then had caught the eye in a couple of early runs in the enclave over shorter trips.
All of this, and the fact that he trailed stylishly against Class 1 gallopers Elderly Paradise and Oakcrest Drive on the turf in a recent trial, was pretty much ignored by punters with the four year old jumping away at 18/1 and it was obvious mid race that the gelding was going to take some holding out as he traveled sweetly under Lam.
Power Speedy posted a new class record time for the 1350 metre trip of 1.21.6 clipping .01 off Har Har Money’s old standard.
Whilst not that big in stature the gelding has what it takes in a good motor and on Friday night’s win should have no trouble getting to Class 2 level.
