Kranji hero morphs into Young Superstar at Sha Tin
Two starts for consecutive wins - the first at Kranji, with the second at Sha Tin - speak volumes of a young horse.
Kungfu Hero was a hothead who gave trainer Jerome Tan a torrid time preparing him for his Kranji debut in 2023.
But when the three-year-old by Press Statement made his debut - in a Restricted Maiden 1,200m event on Oct 14, 2023 - the $17 fancy blitzed his rivals in 1min 09.1sec to set a class record for the trip over the long course.
Winning partner Bernardo Pinheiro told The Sunday Times then: "I didn't see the time. I felt from the beginning he was super."
Kungfu Hero was indeed "super", overcoming a wide gate easily to sweep to the lead. And, at the post, he had more than five lengths to spare from nearest rival Gun.
On June 2, the Kranji hero stepped out for his first start in Hong Kong under his new name, Young Superstar, for trainer Tony Cruz. Quietly fancied at $55 in the Class 3 1,200m event, slated as Race 6 in the 11-race card, he repeated his bold tactics to put his 10 rivals to the sword.
Quickest to jump from the innermost alley, Young Superstar scooted to the lead under apprentice jockey Angus Chung.
At the 300m, he looked to have something extra in the tank as he kept going strongly, fending off the late-closing Prawn Eleven who, incidentally, races in the Toast Trust colours of Singapore owner Constance Cheng.
The last time a Singapore horse won in Hong Kong was in 2010, when the Patrick Shaw-trained superstar Rocket Man deadheated with One World in a Group 2 race, the Cathay Pacific Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m).
In the June 2 twilight meeting's two Group 3 features, favourites obliged in contrasting fashion.
In The Lion Rock Trophy (1,600m) in Race 8, $11 fancy Galaxy Patch gave his backers anxious moments as Chancheng Glory (Lyle Hewitson) looked like he had the eight-horse race sewn up.
But Vincent Ho would not give up on the Pierre Ng-trained Wandjina gelding and the four-year-old responded magnificently as he got up right on the line to nab the front runner.
There were no nail-biting moments, however, in the next event as $8 favourite Ka Ying Rising took out The Sha Tin Vase (1,200m).
The David Hayes-trained three-year-old by Shamexpress was parked fourth for most of the way as topweight Victor The Winner led the nine-horse field until the home straight.
Once Karis Teetan released the brakes at the 200m, Ka Ying Rising bade his rivals goodbye.
Over at Tokyo racecourse, Hong Kong galloper Romantic Warrior won the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) on June 2.
The six-year-old by Acclamation, trained by Danny Shum and ridden by James McDonald, had half a length to spare from Namur (Yutaka Take).