THE renaissance of the Tony Cruz-trained Pakistan Star continued in style at Sha Tin last Sunday, as arguably the most popular horse in this part of the world – certainly the most discussed – capped his topsy-turvy season with a comfortable win in the Group 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over 12 furlongs.

Gone, for now, are the days of the roguish Pakistan Star; the 2016 Hong Kong International Sale graduate gave his supporters arguably their easiest watch yet. Settling second, never more than three lengths off Exultant’s even tempo, jockey Tommy Berry tracked up ominously on the bend as his four rivals resorted to a vigorous drive.

Sweeping to the lead at the 300m, Pakistan Star looked the winner a long way from home. The dazzling turn-of-foot that he had displayed in his last-start win in the Group 1 Audemars Piguet QEII Cup over 10 furlongs wasn’t there but a clear class edge over his rivals saw him assert his superiority.

At the line, the German-bred son of Shamardal held a margin of one and three-quarter lengths over Exultant, with Gold Mount flying from last, as is his want, to finish third, four and a half lengths from the winner.

For Cruz, it was just as he had hoped and predicted – a one-two-three for his stable. “He’s always been a horse – in his training, trials and races – who has needed a target to run at,” Cruz said. “I was worried when Time Warp came out of the race because I thought he might need to end up on the lead, but Exultant had showed last time that he could race forward and so he was able to go out and take it up. Today, everything worked out according to plan.”

Berry was taking his first raceday ride on Pakistan Star. “I was pretty happy 20 metres after the barriers because he’s been known, especially in his trials, to jump out and want to get a little bit keen with some good early speed.

“I can’t express how good a job Tony has done with this horse – to go from not racing at the start of the season, to miss December and then to win two Group 1s on end, and not just to win them but to smash them, it’s a big effort.”

BREAKTHROUGH

For Berry, it was the breakthrough he had so eagerly sought after a difficult season. He had ridden 13 winners with his position as stable rider to the John Moore yard coming to an end in March.

“It’s been a very frustrating season for me and, I must admit, I’m not used to having a quiet patch. I have to thank John, it’s because of him that I’m getting opportunities like this, he got me here and I won a lot of Group 1s for him along the way.

“I also have to thank Tony and the connections. Today, though, I’ve been in the zone and it’s felt like everything used to be for me,” he continued. “It’s amazing when you get here on a day like this and you have Tony and the connections trusting you with a horse like this, it gives you confidence. Hopefully this is a turning point, it’s been a tough season but today means a lot.”

On future plans for the winner Cruz said: “It’s going to be an all-domestic programme I think,” Cruz said. “We’ll stay in Hong Kong and the main goal is to win at the international meeting in December.”

Pakistan Star’s win, in a time of 2m 27.42s, also puts him right in the vanguard for Horse of the Year honours, alongside stablemate Time Warp and the Moore-trained Beauty Generation.

Second placed jockey Brett Prebble said: “We were beaten by a rocket.

“I thought for most of the race I was going to win, because I didn’t think Pakistan Star would have the same turn-of-foot at the 2400m, but he did.”

The race’s first international contender, Ralph Beckett’s Chemical Charge, was never a factor, finishing last of the five. Rider Oisin Murphy said: “My horse just wasn’t good enough on the day.”

Purton in hot pursuit for jockeys’ title

ZAC Purton ramped up the pressure on rival Joao Moreira in the race to become champion jockey when landing a five-timer at Sha Tin last Sunday including a Group 3 success on board Winner’s Way.

Moreira, who started the day six clear of Purton, managed just one winner, so the Australian is now only two behind the ‘Magic Man’, who also has a two meeting ban coming up next month. It capped a fantastic weekend for Purton, who landed a Group 1 double at Kranji in Singapore on Saturday. Both riders had two winners on Wednesday.