A dominant win in Friday night’s Class 2 Handicap has Joe’ Lau’s exciting four year old Sacred Missile right on target for the Group 1 Macau Guineas over 1500 metres on June 17, with the long range goal being the SJM Macau Derby over 1800 metres in July.

Sacred Missile who was stepping out on the turf for the very first time, travelled well in the run in a one out one back position under jockey Luis Corrales. Set alight at the top of the straight, the Missile powered away from his rivals at the two hundred for the easiest of wins in 1.28 neat for the 1500 metres. Californiatreasure (Fausto Henrique) battled on stoutly for second with Roaring Star (Eric Cheung) running on for third.

Most form students had the son of Smart Missile (Aus) down as a sand performer only given his four straight wins on the all weather when he first he arrived in Macau last season. Whilst his past couple of runs on the sand as a short priced favorite on the surface looked a touch disappointing, the gelding still appears to be on a learning curve and judging by Saturday’s win it will be onwards and upwards from here on.

“He is still a bit immature but it was a really good win today.” Joe Lau said.

“I felt he would have no problems handling the turf, his younger full brother Super Missile has won two from four in Hong Kong and looks a really nice horse.”

“I also trained the half brother Sacred Hustler who won his first four straight on the sand here and later he won me a Group 1 race the Chairman’s Challenge Cup on the turf.”

Sacred Missile is raced by Mr. Chen Ching Lung and Dato KS Yap of Raffles Racing.

Joe Lau long considered Macau’s master trainer, has prepared two Macau Derby winners for the duo with The Alfonso winning the race in 2015 under Nash Rawiller, and Sacred Man bolting away with last year’s Derby under Zac Purton.

Whilst Sacred Missile’s sire Smart Missile (Aus) was a cracking sprinter who downed subsequent Golden Slipper winner Sepoy in the Group 2 Todman, his dam Hula Here is by Dehere USA), who is a grandson of the great Secretariat. Some of Dehere’s offspring include Defier who was an AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and a Doomben Cup winner both over 2000 metres, and Dear Demi a VRC Oaks winner over 2500 metres.

Sacred Missile was strong at the line on Friday night at the 1500 metres, so the 1800 metres of the Derby certainly does not look an impossible mission, given his strong second over 1600 metres in the Group 2 Autumn Trophy on the sand behind Kelowna Star back in November.

Joe Lau later made it a double for the night with Sacred Major winning the Class 4 & 5 over 1050 metres on the sand under jockey Charlie Chan.

Andrew Calder produced one of the finest front running rides seen at the Taipa track in a long while in winning the Class 4 over 1500 metres on Wonder Holy for trainer K C Chong.

Wonder Holy is a known on speed runner and Calder took the son of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) straight to the front away from the gates and led under a hold as the field raced into the back. However it was his tactics from the 1000 metre point that caught his rivals napping. Calder let the six year old slip away in a quick move and put a good six lengths on the second horse Winning Express. The move left some of the fancied backmarker’s completely flat footed and off the bit. Calder then gave the horse a breather from the 600 metres and cuddled him until well into the straight with the chasers right on his back. Just as the opposition was closing in on him, he slipped Wonder Holy into top gear at the 200 mark to race away for a comfortable win.

Winning Express battled on stoutly for second under Fausto Henrique, with Wonderful Story (Breinell Yamzon) back in third.

Wonder Holy is an Irish import that raced there under the same name winning a race at Killarney for Curragh trainer John Feane.