Straight Arron thrashed his Class Two Wan Chai Gap Handicap (1,800m) rivals at Sha Tin on Sunday, after which Caspar Fownes declared his recent recruit would have won a genuinely run Hong Kong Derby (2,000m).
As much as Fownes enjoyed Straight Arron’s second success in three starts for the stable – and his demonstrative behaviour in the winner’s circle indicated he enjoyed it a lot – he cannot stop thinking about what might have been if this season’s classic contest had been run at a different tempo.
“Very impressive. It’s a bit unfortunate in the big race we weren’t in that same position because it would’ve been the same result,” Fownes said after Derby fifth Straight Arron beat Derby sixth Sword Point by three and a quarter lengths, with Derby seventh Sweet Encounter completing the trifecta.
“Blake [Shinn] rode a great race in the Derby, but unfortunately, there was no pace – they just slacked it off. Today’s race showed what the horse’s true potential is. He’s a very, very good horse – a very high-quality horse. He’s got a big future.”
Fownes was reluctant to specify a target race for Straight Arron, whose owners removed the Australian import from David Hayes’ stable after he was unplaced in each of his first three races in Hong Kong.
“We’ll just see what the handicapping department gives him and see how he pulls up. There’s a couple races left for him before the season’s out,” said Fownes, with one realistic late-campaign option for Straight Arron the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) on June 25 given the rising star is two from two over the course and distance.
Straight Arron was Vincent Ho Chak-yiu’s second winner on the card, with the top local jockey taking out the Class Three Kowloon Cricket Club Centenary Cup (1,200m) aboard Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s Youthful Deal. Ho’s double lifted him to 67 victories this term.
The only other rider to celebrate multiple wins was Harry Bentley, who was in the saddle for both of trainer Douglas Whyte’s Sunday successes.
First, Bentley and Whyte combined to win the Class Four Pottinger Peak Handicap (1,400m) with Blue Marlin. Two races later, the British rider and the South African handler teamed up again to take out the Class Three Siu Ma Shan Handicap (1,400m) with Beauty Champ, who headed a quinella for the Kwok family after Beauty Inspire finished second.
Whyte added cheek pieces to Blue Marlin’s equipment for his fourth start and it worked the oracle.
“He was very raw and green last time. The different head gear on him helped him focus. He seemed to go straight – he didn’t hang left – so the penny’s dropping with him,” said Whyte of Blue Marlin.
Whyte switched Beauty Champ from the dirt to the turf after four consecutive runs – one win but also two eighths and one ninth – on the all-weather track.
“He’s been promising to do something like that on the turf. He drew a gate and sucked up behind them. He needed a solid tempo like that and he gets stronger and stronger – he can’t sit and sprint,” said Whyte of Beauty Champ, who was the less fancied of the two Kwok-owned runners in the penultimate event.
Whyte has supplied Bentley with each of his past four winners, and the trainer rejected requests from other jockeys who wanted to jump on Blue Marlin fourth up.
“I had a number of people ask for him,” Whyte said. “I could’ve jocked Harry off, but he’d done nothing wrong. If a jock does nothing wrong, I tend to give them another opportunity. I’ve been in that position before. I’d prefer to be known as loyal than fickle.”
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