The Year Of The Horse Cup at Sha Tin produced a finish worthy of the occasion on Thursday night, as Stunning Peach finally converted long-held promise into top-level ambition with a dramatic short-head victory in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 feature over 1600 metres.
Trainer Tony Cruz, a dual Hong Kong champion, did not hide his excitement after the Irish-bred gelding lunged late under Angus Chung to deny the fast-finishing Top Dragon. The clock stopped at 1m 33.95s, Regal Gem finishing third, as Cruz secured his third success in the race formerly known as the Chinese New Year Cup.
Settled in sixth from barrier four, Stunning Peach travelled sweetly before spearing into daylight on straightening. He struck the front at the 300m, only for Top Dragon — forced to shift course before unleashing his run under Maxime Guyon — to issue a fierce challenge. Under determined riding, Stunning Peach clung on in a pulsating final stride.
Cruz, who previously captured this contest with Penglai Xianzi (2013) and Beauty Smile (2021), now has loftier aims in mind.
“I’ve got big ideas for him,” Cruz said. “He got injured last year at Happy Valley, but now he’s fully recovered I’m aiming at the top – Group races in Hong Kong, and if he proves himself there, we’ll consider looking overseas.”
The trainer pointed to the decisive weight turnaround as a crucial factor.
“He had 135 pounds last time. Today he carried 116. That tells the tale. With that weight, he was getting an advantage from every rival. Angus rode a perfect race and that made all the difference.”
Formerly trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien as Islandsinthestream, the son of Wootton Bassett had twice finished runner-up at Group 1 level in Europe before export. Thursday’s success lifted his Hong Kong earnings to HK$7.8 million, including a HK$1.5 million Top-Up Bonus.
Cruz later completed a double when Gentlemen Legacy edged stablemate Liveandletlive by a nose in the Class 3 Red Packet Handicap over 2000m under Hugh Bowman.
Year Of The Horse Cup Sets the Tone for Rising Stars
The Year Of The Horse Cup meeting also showcased emerging talent. Trainer Francis Lui drew lofty comparisons after Hot Delight maintained his unbeaten record in the first section of the Class 3 Yue Yee Handicap (1200m).
Ridden by Vincent Ho, the three-year-old swept clear by two and three-quarter lengths in 1m 09.04s, clocking a sharp 22.01s for the final 400 metres. Lui suggested the youngster might be ahead of retired champion Golden Sixty at a similar stage.
“He needs to improve, but at this stage he looks better than Golden Sixty did,” Lui remarked. “He’s learning to relax. Even up to a mile should be no problem.”
Elsewhere on the card, Jubilant Winner provided Jamie Richards with his 100th Hong Kong success under Alexis Badel, while four-time champion trainer Caspar Fownes moved to the top of the trainers’ standings with 36 victories for the season.
The evening concluded with a series of competitive handicaps, reinforcing the depth of talent currently on show at Sha Tin as attention now turns to Sunday’s HK$13 million Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), where Ka Ying Rising will attempt to extend an extraordinary winning sequence.
For Stunning Peach, however, the Year Of The Horse Cup may prove a defining stepping stone — the night potential crystallised into genuine Group-race ambition.
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