Hong Kong based Australian stars Tommy Berry and Zac Purton head an elite band of riders bound for Macau on Saturday to compete in the Group 1 Macau – Hong Kong Trophy.
Berry and Purton will be joined by Hong Kong based riders Joao Moreira, Olivier Doleuze and Andreas Suborics.
Six times Macau champion Manoel Nunes now based in Singapore will return for the day, along with multiple Group winning New Zealand rider Craig Grylls.
Berry who has been hot property in the past 12 months winning multiple Group races in Australia and Asia, has been booked to ride the Ricky Yiu trained Deep Thinker in the Trophy to be run over 1500 metres.
Deep Thinker looms as one of the main hopes from the Hong Kong team with a last start win over 1400 metres at Sha Tin in Class 2.
Three starts back the son of Thorn Park turned in nice effort against Class 1 Company at Happy Valley to be beaten only three lengths behind the well performed Pleasure Gains.
Zac Purton who was simply brilliant in kicking home four winners at Sha Tin last Sunday has been in dazzling form all season.
Currently on 96 Hong Kong winners for the season, Purton looks the best of good things to end Douglas Whyte’s 13 year reign, with a 17 win lead with just 12 meetings remaining.
Purton will ride the Dennis Yip prepared Winning Leader who finished second to Super Lifeline in the first leg of the series the Hong Kong – Macau Trophy at Sha Tin on March 1st.
At his most recent run Winning Leader ran 11th beaten just under four lengths behind Deep Thinker after covering extra ground early in the race, so the run was better then it looked.
Zac Purton has been a regular visitor to Taipa for Trophy day and picked up his first Macau Group 1 on Power Alkhafif in the Chairman’s Challenge Cup in 2012
Joao “Magic” Moreira has been engaged to ride the Caspar Fownes trained My Name Is Bond who won at Happy Valley three starts back over 1000 metres in Class 2.
The six year’s only other win in Hong Kong was over 1200 metres also at the valley; however he was a 1400 metre winner at Longchamp in France prior to being imported to Hong Kong.
Olivier Doleuze reunites with last year’s winner Noble Alpha from the C W (Michael) Chang yard who looks to have hit his straps right on schedule for Saturday’s race.
Noble Alpha has not saluted since winning the race last year on a very heavy track but has put together three nice efforts in his recent runs.
The seven year old was running on well late behind Super Lifeline in the Hong Kong – Macau Trophy and followed that up with a nice third behind Flash Knight over 1400 metres in Class 2.
The gelding then capped that off with a tidy effort on the all-weather only beaten two and three quarters behind Access Years over 1200 metres on April 21.
Andreas Suboric’s make his first trip to the Taipa track and rides Tony Cruz’s Zaidan who turned in his worst ever performance last start beaten 30 lengths, albeit in a hot race the Champions Mile.
However prior to that he was consistent enough and was only two and a half lengths away in the Group 3 Premier Plate over 1800 metres behind Bubble Chic on March 30.
The best of the Macau side is undoubtedly the top weight Wonder Mossman to be ridden by Charles Perkins.
The son of Mossman made all of the running when first up at Sha Tin in the first leg behind Super Lifeline and only weakened the last bit to finish eighth beaten just over three lengths.
At his latest run in Macau the five year was set a huge task on a heavy track over 1500 metres with 133 pounds by the apprentice Cash Wong, setting up a 10 lengths lead from the 600 metres only to be caught late by Lucky And Wealthy.
Wonder Mossman looked sharp bolting away with a recent trial on May 18 and is a great chance of giving his young rider Perkins his third Group 1 success.
Manoel Nunes again teams up with Geoff Allendorf to ride Lucky and Wealthy who was beaten four and a half lengths in tenth spot behind Super Lifeline in the first leg on a firm track.
Geoff Allendorf no doubt will doing his best rain dance in the hope that the track comes up at least soft which will bring last year’s Derby and Macau Gold Cup winner right into play.
Luen Yat Forever is to be ridden by Craig Grylls who is enjoying a stellar season at present and is a frequent visitor to the enclave for Cup days.
A rising nine year Luen Yat Forever ‘s best days are no doubt behind him evidenced by his ninth place behind Super Lifeline beaten just over four lengths, however his latest run was more encouraging when third beaten two and three quarter lengths behind Oakcrest Drive over 1600 metres on the all weather.
A wet track would certainly be a huge boost to his chances as well.
Dr. Sweet is a rising eight year from the Gary Moore yard to be ridden by Ryan Curatolo.
The gelding is still racing with plenty of zest evidenced by his win in the Group 2 Spring Trophy back in January. That said he is handicapped right up to his best, and his run in the first leg suggests he will need nothing short of a miracle to win Saturday’s race with his 130 pounds.
Just In Time is an English import who is a very talented galloper that has been very sparingly raced with only five runs this season suggesting perhaps some issues with five year old.
The gelding won nicely two starts back over 1200 metres in top company in March but was never sighted over the 1600 metres on the sand at his latest run.
Horace Lam takes the ride for trainer Tony Fung, and whilst Just In Time has ripped through some nice pieces of work lately he seems to have the job ahead of him.
With the five Hong Kong runners to arrive at the Taipa track Monday afternoon much will hinge on the weather for Saturday’s race.
With the past two running’s of the race on very heavy testing tracks the weather fore cast this year does look more encouraging with some hot days ahead through the week, with a slight chance of some light showers predicted.
