Normcore flies Japanese flag
Longines Hong Kong Cup (Group 1)
JAPAN again had a very successful meeting, taking home two of the four international Group 1s.
Japanese mare Normcore outsprinted fellow Japan’s Win Bright and Ireland’s Magical in the HK$28 million Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and Zac Purton became the first rider to partner nine Hong Kong International races.
Purton gained the ride on the grey after Christophe Soumillon was forced to forfeit the mount after failing to secure an unconditional release from quarantine following a Covid test on Thursday.
Purton was grateful to regain the ride on Normcore, whose previous Group 1 triumph came in the Victoria Mile in May 2019. She was fourth in the Mile here last year. He stalked the 2019 Cup winner Win Bright before peeling widest in a riveting global contest. Japan’s three runners finished in the top four, with Danon Premium trailing Magical to the line.
“She (Normcore) had to fight for it, Win Bright gave a really sharp kick and his love for Sha Tin was starting to show through,” Purton said. “But she was determined and inch by inch, she just kept putting herself in the frame.”
Ryan Moore said a slackening mid-race tempo wrecked Magical’s chances of becoming the first horse trained by Aidan O’Brien to snare eight Group 1s. She stayed on all the way but just lacked the final pace of the winner.
Longines Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1)
DANON Smash followed in the footsteps of his sire Lord Kanaloa with a thrilling victory for Japan in the 2020 Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint over six furlongs, their third in the HK$22 million contest’s 21-year history.
Lord Kanaloa landed Sha Tin’s premier dash twice in 2012 and 2013, and was also trained by Takayuki Yasuda, and Danon Smash joined the honour roll with a gritty success under Ryan Moore.
“He stepped very well and we managed to slot into a lovely spot, I was always happy and when the pace steadied around the bend, I was able to just move out and keep moving forward and he got there in plenty of time,” Moore said.
“He was very tough and very honest – he was a pleasure to ride and he’d shown very good form at times in Japan’s best sprints and at seven furlongs as well he’s won some of the best races at Group 2 level and he deserved to win his Group 1.”
The five-year-old broke cleanly to sit midfield under Moore, who peeled out at the 300m mark to grind his way to a half-length victory in a time of 1m 8.45s, from the fast-finishing Jolly Banner in second, while Rattan rattled into third.
The 114-rater landed the 10th win of his career today, and followed his last start’s runner-up effort to Gran Alegria with a triumph today, his first at the top-level after eight attempts.
The pair of wins were Moore’s seventh at the Hong Kong International Races, the most any international-based rider. Classique Legend never found his finishing flourish and finished 11th, while favourite Hot King Prawn was overhauled and faded to finish seventh.