Hong Kong Jockey Club
Jockey Derek Leung’s win in the Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Beloved Collection Handicap (1400m) today (Sunday, 17 December) may not have held the same significance as his G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile success last weekend. Judging by the crowd reaction, though, Pingwu Spark’s (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) against-the-odds triumph may have been just as popular to Hong Kong racing fans after the grey burst through to take the Sha Tin closer by a half-length, a win that seemed impossible early in the straight.
Pingwu Spark was sent out a 2.9 favourite to win his fourth race this season. The hulking grey enjoyed a perfect trail in the box-seat, with fellow giant Good Standing sitting directly to his outside.
Entering the stretch, though, Zac Purton seized the initiative aboard John Moore’s Good Standing. He pushed the Australian import up towards the lead, ensuring that Leung aboard Pingwu Spark was stuck in a pocket with nowhere to go passing the 300m.
“I couldn’t get properly clear until the 150m,” Leung said. “I couldn’t go anywhere. I just had to sit there and wait and trust that the gap would open later. Thankfully, it did, but my horse dashed even better than before. He surprised me a little bit, but he still has improvement in him – even when he hit the front, he wanted to look around a bit and was waiting for other horses to join him.”
Watching pensively from the weighing room was Benno Yung, Pingwu Spark’s trainer. He turned his face away from the screen when the Mastercraftsman five-year-old struck trouble and admitted to thinking he had “no chance” for most of the straight.
“I was so scared, I thought his chance had gone,” Yung said. “He’s such a big horse, he needs time to wind up. You can’t just expect him to sprint. I was very worried, but luckily it opened up. This horse keeps improving, that’s his best win yet I think.”
Yung says that he will likely wait another month before running Pingwu Spark again, with a race on 21 January looking a likely target.
“I will sit down and look at the programme,” he says. “I want to make sure that he doesn’t get to the Group races too quickly, I want to step him up gradually. I think there is a Class 2 for 105-rated horses next month over 1400m, that would be the next race if he is still eligible. He would be able to run in the Group 3 (Chinese Club Challenge Cup) over 1400m in a couple of weeks but I think that would be too soon.
“He’s the horse I’ve been waiting for,” Yung continued. “He’s a horse every trainer wants. I think he can continue to improve and so I want to be patient with him.”
Pingwu Spark was bred by Mrs H G & W G Bax & Windsor Park Stud and sold to Hong Kong purchaser Mr Peter KS So at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale. He raced twice in New Zealand under the name Masterhorseman for one win before transferring to Hong Kong. -HKJC