HKJC
Jockey Karis Teetan believes that Morethanlucky is capable of joining a select group of five-time winners this season by taking out Saturday's Class 2 Lung Mun Road Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin.
The Frankie Lor-trained Morethanlucky scored a quartet of wins early in the season to move from Class 4 into Class 2. Another victory would see him join Beauty Generation, Conte, Pick Number One, Pingwu Spark and Super Fluke as a winner of five this term.
“It’s been a great season for him,” Teetan said at Sha Tin on Friday. “He’s done a lot already to come from Class 4, it’s a big rise and not many horses can do it so I’m proud of him. I definitely hope, having had the freshen-up mid-season, he might be able to win one more.”
Morethanlucky’s rating surged after he finished third to Nothingilikemore and Singapore Sling in the first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, the Hong Kong Classic Mile in January, taking him up to a mark of 92 after beginning the season on 53. And while Teetan feels that he is reaching his limit, he believes the Per Incanto gelding still has one win left in him before the season is out.
“Next season, I think he is a horse that could be competitive in the Group Three handicaps, but I wouldn’t push him much further than that,” he said. “I think he’s already starting to reach his mark, he’s gone up nearly 40 points in the ratings and that’s a long way. It would be nice to get another win with him though and I think that he then will have earned his chance in some of those early Group Three handicaps.”
Last start, his first in three months, Morethanlucky tired after leading and finished fourth, a length and a quarter behind Rise High.
“He definitely needed that run,” Teetan said. “That day, I wish that something had gone past me to lead just so he could have had a breather, but he’s a big-striding horse so I had to let him go at his own rhythm and let him enjoy himself. That meant that he was on the lead in that race. Then Sam (Clipperton) let his horse (Sergeant Titanium) stride up to join me at the 700m, which just meant my horse had to do a little too much.
“He still gave me a strong kick in the straight before he’d had enough, but the race developed in the centre of the track and he was left by himself – I do think if he’d had a horse alongside him, he would have had some more enthusiasm too. He wouldn’t have won, but he would have showed some more fight. I’m happy with that, though, because I know that he can only improve going into tomorrow’s race.”
Morethanlucky (129lb) will jump from gate five. -HKJC