Happy Time wins Longines Cup Handicap for Chris So at Happy Valley

Prestige Swiss watchmaker Longines and the Hong Kong Jockey Club presented the third edition of the Longines Night Races as a kick-off event for the Longines Hong Kong International Races on 8 December.

Trainer So saw jockey Zac Purton steered race favourite Happy Time to a first win at the 15th attempt in winning the Class 4 Longines Cup Handicap. Run over 1200 metres, Purton and Happy Time were a good length and a quarter clear of Shouson, with Methane a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Ms. Karen Au Yeung, Vice President of Longines Hong Kong, presented a LonginesSaint-Imier Collection watch to the winning connections of Happy Time, owner Mr. Johnny Cheung Shun Yee, trainer So and jockey Purton.

That success completed a double for So after the trainer started the night with victory in the opening Class 5 Glory Star Handicap with success for Wonderful Tiger. Run over 1650 metres, jockey Karis Teetan drove his mount to a first Hong Kong success at his 28th start, the pair coming in half a length in front of Calling The Shots in second and Mutual Joy in third.

Jockey Alberto Sanna and trainer Ricky Yiu claimed a double together with victories of contrasting margins. The first came in the second race of the card, the Class 5 Sir John Handicap run over 1000 metres as After Me justified favouritism to win by three-quarters of a length from La Bomba in second, with Royal Chocolate the same distance further back in third.

Sanna and Yiu had to wait until the final race of the night to make it a pair of victories thanks to a Speedy King who took the Class 2 Ivictory Handicap in thrilling finish. Run over 1200 metres, the outsider took the honours by a short head from Super Turbo in second, with favourite Yee Cheong Baby a further length and a quarter adrift in third.

Trainer Peter Ho left with a brace too as first Dylan Mo came in aboard Very Rich Man in the Class 4 Windicator Handicap. It was a comfortable success by a length for the top-rated horse, with Iron Boy just getting second by a neck from Little Thunder. Ho’s double was complete in the penultimate race of the evening, the Class 3 Speed Vision Handicap with Le Terroir taking the honours. The four-year-old had won three of his last four starts and jockey Joao Moreira made the most of the inside gate as Le Terroir made all the running to win by a length from First Responder and Breeders’ Star in third.

That victory also completed a double for Moreira who guided Playa Del Puente a useful three length success in the Class 2 Green Luck Handicap. Happy Dragon got the edge for second by a neck from race favourite Not Usual Talent.

Jockey Grant van Niekerk lifted the Me Tsui-trained Jolly Honour to take the Class 3 Dordenma Handicap by a neck in a tussle with the Regan Bayliss-ridden Surrealism.

• The 2019 Longines Hong Kong International Races has attracted a bounty of stars among 202 nominated horses, with 66 Group 1 winners from 12 countries/regions in the frame for the four-race HK$93 million event at Sha Tin on 8 December.

This year’s entry is 11 up on 2018 and features world heavyweights Almond Eye, Magical, Beauty Generation, Cross Counter, Benbatl and Santa Ana Lane.

The nominees also include 10 Grade 1-winning three-year-olds, notably Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck, 2,000 Guineas hero Magna Grecia and Yushun Himba heroine Loves Only You, as well as King Of Change and Circus Maximus, and speedsters Advertise, Fairyland and Ten Sovereigns.