A winning double at Saturday’s first meeting of the new Macau season at Taipa was a welcome change of luck for American trainer Craig Marshall.
His US import Flaming Star, a nice looking son of black type winner Sir Shackleton was the first of Marshall’s winners and one of the most impressive on the day when he destroyed his rivals in the Class 5 over 1050 metres.
Ridden by Stanley Chin Flaming Star came out of his wide gate on the bridle and traveled well three deep on the lead before bounding away in the straight to record a big win, and looks well above average.
Flaming Star is product of the Florida Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company June 2012 Sale Catalogue.
Florida has been a happy hunting ground for Marshall in the past with his former top gallopers Great Ton Kingdom, Chiu Chow Brother and Chiu Chow Knight all coming out of the Marion County area.
The three year old had proved a real handful at the gates when he a first arrived in Macau and went through a series of trials to mend his ways before stepping out as a 3/1 favorite back in May.
The colt looked completely lost on that occasion and in two subsequent runs following before being rested by Marshall.
The chestnut put the writing on the wall with a nice trial when never off the nickel under Louis Corrales running second behind the stable-mate Windicator Returns last Tuesday.
With Corrales opting to ride See See Leading who finished second in the event, Marshall secured the services of Stanley Chin one of the best in the business, with the surprising thing out of the race the odds on offer about Flaming Star who closed off at a whopping 37/1.
The former Hong Kong galloper Windicator Returns completed Marshall’s double when he saluted per medium of a lovely ride by Peter Ho in the Class 3 & 4 over 1100 metres.
A winner on the all weather in Macau, the nine year old was also dismissed by punters to jump at 16/1 with most writing him off as a sand performer, even after a dazzling eight lengths trial win on Tuesday morning.
The gelding had won on a firm track over 1000 metres at Tipperary in Ireland before being purchased for Hong Kong where he then acquitted himself well in Class 1 & 2 company on both turf and the all weather winning another five races being arriving Macau, so it was no surprise to see him shape up in Class 3 & 4 in the enclave.
In the past the Windicator Returns has been fired up out of the gates to lead clearly and had turned in a great performance the previous start over 1350 metres when let blaze up front before tiring over the last 100 metres.
On Saturday Peter Ho let the gelding stride out of the gates without firing him up too much and was content to park off the leaders The Lucky Dragon and Lobor Treasure. Once in the straight the old timer really dug in late to down Lobor Treasure (Louis Corrales) right on the line.
* LAST season’s champion jockey Louis Corrales wasted no time getting on the scoreboard for the new racing year with a winning double on Saturday’s mixed turf and sand card.
Corrales won the first race of the new season when he combined with trainer K H Leong to win on Florence Spirit in the Class 5 & 6 over 1500 metres.
Later in the day Corrales linked up with trainer Tony Fung for a dominant win on the Irish import Sheng Li Win in the Class 1 & 2 over 1350 metres.
It was win number four for Sheng Li Win a son of the 2004 Epsom Derby winner North Light (IRE) who has always looked more than useful on the all weather surface.
Panamanian born Corrales became the first Macau trained apprentice to win a Macau Jockeys’ Title when he edged out Brazilian Fausto Durso 49 to 48 in a great battle for honors that went right down to the final two races of the season.
* RIDE of the day went to Australian Ronny Stewart with a sweet front running exhibition on the Gary Moore trained Happy Strength in the last of the day the Class 2 & 3 over 1500 metres.
Stewart stacked the field up to a nicety once in the back and dictated the race from then on before skipping away on the top of the straight for a big win over stable-mate and favorite Hostwin Challenge (Stanley Chin), giving Gary Moore the race quinella.
Stewart kicked home nine winners in the enclave creating big impression in a three month stint before taking a two month break to arrange his wedding with fiancée former Singapore jockey Sheryl Cheam in Thailand.
