Ambitious Champion winning the HKG3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (Handicap)
Hong Kong Jockey Club
A jubilant winning trainer Richard Gibson credited young jockey Chad Schofield for the victory with Ambitious Champion in the HKG3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (Handicap) at Sha Tin today, Sunday 24 April.
"It was a peach of a ride," was Gibson's description of the performance, which garnered the 22 year-old Schofield his biggest win in his first season riding in Hong Kong. "His quick, early and bold decision to go forward won us the race," added the trainer.
Schofield elected to push on from the second widest gate with the 6yo son of Zed to stalk the front-runner Basic Trilogy and was able to steal a march on the Tony Cruz-trained minor place-getters Anticipation and Giovanni Canaletto.
"He went very well," Schofield said, "We went forward today and in the last two starts I've been on him he has been quite keen. But today he relaxed well and dropped the bridle. As soon as I switched him back on at the 600 metres, he ran on very strongly. It's a good day to get a Group win for Richard. He's been so good to me and I'm so happy I can repay him with a Group win."
Gibson said he was surprised that his New Zealand import was dismissed in many pre-race discussions. "I thought he had little luck in running at his previous start and should have finished closer. Couple that with the prospect of him really appreciating the yielding ground and the drop in weight and I expected him to run well. It's a huge win for the stable," Gibson said.
Gibson said that Ambitious Champion, who carried 115lb in today's nine-runner handicap, was likely to proceed to the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at the course and distance next month but acknowledged that would be a more difficult assignment.
"He's been very consistent all year and won't let us down but he had the weight advantage today and conditions to suit. It'll be tougher next time but we're entitled to give him his chance," he said.
Joao Moreira, who rode the third-placed Giovanni Canaletto (124lb), concurred that the tempo was the key to the race outcome: "The slow pace didn't help, he's a one-paced kind of horse and so he hasn't run a bad race," he said.
The runner-up Anticipation (113lb) closed late to momentarily raise the hopes of his connections and jockey Matthew Chadwick said: "He's run a good race, I would just have liked to have had a bit clearer run up the straight – I had the run but they closed the gap on me a bit early. I've had to redirect my horse, but the winner had his measure."
Zac Purton said his mount Victory Magic simply failed to handle the conditions. "He just didn't handle the going at all," Purton said of the Derby runner-up, who was a well beaten seventh.
"It was a peach of a ride," was Gibson's description of the performance, which garnered the 22 year-old Schofield his biggest win in his first season riding in Hong Kong. "His quick, early and bold decision to go forward won us the race," added the trainer.
Schofield elected to push on from the second widest gate with the 6yo son of Zed to stalk the front-runner Basic Trilogy and was able to steal a march on the Tony Cruz-trained minor place-getters Anticipation and Giovanni Canaletto.
"He went very well," Schofield said, "We went forward today and in the last two starts I've been on him he has been quite keen. But today he relaxed well and dropped the bridle. As soon as I switched him back on at the 600 metres, he ran on very strongly. It's a good day to get a Group win for Richard. He's been so good to me and I'm so happy I can repay him with a Group win."
Gibson said he was surprised that his New Zealand import was dismissed in many pre-race discussions. "I thought he had little luck in running at his previous start and should have finished closer. Couple that with the prospect of him really appreciating the yielding ground and the drop in weight and I expected him to run well. It's a huge win for the stable," Gibson said.
Gibson said that Ambitious Champion, who carried 115lb in today's nine-runner handicap, was likely to proceed to the G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at the course and distance next month but acknowledged that would be a more difficult assignment.
"He's been very consistent all year and won't let us down but he had the weight advantage today and conditions to suit. It'll be tougher next time but we're entitled to give him his chance," he said.
Joao Moreira, who rode the third-placed Giovanni Canaletto (124lb), concurred that the tempo was the key to the race outcome: "The slow pace didn't help, he's a one-paced kind of horse and so he hasn't run a bad race," he said.
The runner-up Anticipation (113lb) closed late to momentarily raise the hopes of his connections and jockey Matthew Chadwick said: "He's run a good race, I would just have liked to have had a bit clearer run up the straight – I had the run but they closed the gap on me a bit early. I've had to redirect my horse, but the winner had his measure."
Zac Purton said his mount Victory Magic simply failed to handle the conditions. "He just didn't handle the going at all," Purton said of the Derby runner-up, who was a well beaten seventh.