Super Jockey
Hong Kong Jockey Club
Super Jockey (NZ) (Sandtrap) delivered a performance of absolute superiority to secure a pioneering victory in the KOR G1 Korea Sprint (1200m) at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon, Sunday, 11 September.
Hong Kong's first horse to race on Korean soil – or sand, to be precise – soon became the first to triumph as he took the inaugural edition of the US$700,000 race, the first of two contests open to overseas competitors at the all-new Korea Autumn Racing Carnival. And the win was all in the planning.
"Going into this sprint a lot of things went right and we had a good feeling about it," said trainer Tony Millard in the race's heady aftermath. "The team worked really well because we had to prepare the horse in the off-season, which is not easy, especially as he's a horse that doesn't sweat - that's quite a big call in Hong Kong's summer humidity.
"The race panned out exactly the way we planned, which doesn't often happen," he added. "He runs very well fresh, we know that and I was very happy with his preparation coming into this. It was great, I didn't actually expect him to win that well but he's a high-class horse."
Super Jockey broke smartly from his prime berth in gate two and, once out of the sand-churning slipstream of the pace-setting local runner, Perdido Pomeroy, the aptly-sired Sandtrap gelding had the race at his mercy under Karis Teetan.
Super Jockey was pulling double on the turn, upsides the pace-setter, whose throttle was fully out. A flick of the reins with 350m to race took Hong Kong's hope into a clear lead. From that point the race was over. "Once we turned into the home straight he changed leg and really let down," said the rider.
Teetan looked around with a furlong and a half remaining and, seeing his rivals toiling, allowed his mount to coast home through the final 100m to win by four lengths.
And Teetan, too, had a word on the all-important preparation: "I must say well done to the trainer, I think he's done the best preparation of a horse I've ever seen – this horse was really well coming into this race. I knew if he could handle this surface that he would be hard to beat."
This afternoon's win was Super Jockey's fifth at career start 23 and a deserved first outside of Hong Kong for the 2015 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up since his import to Hong Kong from New Zealand. Further plans are currently in the making.
"Karis eased him down, which was lovely – we live to race another day," said Millard. "We'll go back to Hong Kong and decide there where we'll aim for next."
Super Jockey previously raced in New Zealand as Okie Dokie for trainer James Bridge winning his only start before being sold to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong's first horse to race on Korean soil – or sand, to be precise – soon became the first to triumph as he took the inaugural edition of the US$700,000 race, the first of two contests open to overseas competitors at the all-new Korea Autumn Racing Carnival. And the win was all in the planning.
"Going into this sprint a lot of things went right and we had a good feeling about it," said trainer Tony Millard in the race's heady aftermath. "The team worked really well because we had to prepare the horse in the off-season, which is not easy, especially as he's a horse that doesn't sweat - that's quite a big call in Hong Kong's summer humidity.
"The race panned out exactly the way we planned, which doesn't often happen," he added. "He runs very well fresh, we know that and I was very happy with his preparation coming into this. It was great, I didn't actually expect him to win that well but he's a high-class horse."
Super Jockey broke smartly from his prime berth in gate two and, once out of the sand-churning slipstream of the pace-setting local runner, Perdido Pomeroy, the aptly-sired Sandtrap gelding had the race at his mercy under Karis Teetan.
Super Jockey was pulling double on the turn, upsides the pace-setter, whose throttle was fully out. A flick of the reins with 350m to race took Hong Kong's hope into a clear lead. From that point the race was over. "Once we turned into the home straight he changed leg and really let down," said the rider.
Teetan looked around with a furlong and a half remaining and, seeing his rivals toiling, allowed his mount to coast home through the final 100m to win by four lengths.
And Teetan, too, had a word on the all-important preparation: "I must say well done to the trainer, I think he's done the best preparation of a horse I've ever seen – this horse was really well coming into this race. I knew if he could handle this surface that he would be hard to beat."
This afternoon's win was Super Jockey's fifth at career start 23 and a deserved first outside of Hong Kong for the 2015 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up since his import to Hong Kong from New Zealand. Further plans are currently in the making.
"Karis eased him down, which was lovely – we live to race another day," said Millard. "We'll go back to Hong Kong and decide there where we'll aim for next."
Super Jockey previously raced in New Zealand as Okie Dokie for trainer James Bridge winning his only start before being sold to Hong Kong.