It’s a tale of two four-year-old imports, each with a resume built for the Hong Kong Classic Series, yet arriving at Sha Tin with sharply contrasting fortunes. Sagacious Life and Shanwah, both Privately Purchased with the Four-Year-Old campaign in mind, will line up for the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on Sunday, 1 February, but only one has so far adapted seamlessly to life in Hong Kong.
Pierre Ng’s Sagacious Life enters the race as the highest-rated runner, having won two of three starts in the city. With champion Zac Purton in the saddle, the Brazilian-bred gelding carries the confidence of his South American form: four wins from six outings, including a commanding 4.3-length triumph in the G1 Derby Paulista over 2400 metres. The only horse to best him back home, Winfield, also features in Sunday’s race, setting the stage for a compelling showdown. A recent barrier trial victory under Purton suggests Sagacious Life is peaking at precisely the right moment.
Ng is taking it all in stride. “I’m enjoying it rather than feeling pressure,” he said. “He’s raced three times and won twice, so already the pressure’s off. Hopefully we can get a little bit more from this Four-Year-Old series. But not a lot of pressure — we are happy with the horse.”
By contrast, Douglas Whyte’s Shanwah has yet to make his mark in Hong Kong, finishing 10th, 14th, and 11th in three outings. Despite a strong 80 rating earned from impressive performances in Australia, the New Zealand-bred bay remains the joint-lowest rated in the field. Yet Whyte believes the gelding is slowly finding his footing.
“He’s just taking a little bit longer than I expected to settle in,” Whyte explained. “His recent trial was encouraging, and we’ve hopefully worked a few things out with him.”
Shanwah’s Australian form is notable, with victories in the G2 Caulfield Autumn Classic (1800m) and the G2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m). However, all four of his wins came on left-handed tracks, which may explain the difficulty he’s had on Hong Kong’s right-handed Sha Tin course. A new partnership with English jockey Harry Bentley could spark a turnaround, with the five-barrier draw offering the chance to ride him more prominently.
Bentley is cautiously optimistic. “We want to ride him a bit more positively. From barrier five, we’ll try to have him handier than in his last runs and put him in the mix. He’s got a kick and ability — if he can find some of that form from Australia, he’ll be competitive.”
Sunday’s 11-race Sha Tin card kicks off at 12.30pm with the Class 4 Clear Water Bay Handicap (1000m), building toward the marquee Hong Kong Classic Mile at 4.05pm, where the contrasting trajectories of Sagacious Life and Shanwah will take centre stage.
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