Mizuno Stars In Summer Trophy On Fasuba

Visiting Japanese jockey Kakeru Mizuno scored the biggest win of his career when he rated the Alan Tam trained Fasuba to perfection for an all the way in Saturday’s Group 2 Summer Trophy over 1350 metres on the sand.

Fasuba with his dazzling speed is one the fastest horses in Macau and currently holds the 1050 metre track record of 1.00.60, with all of his six wins in the enclave at that distance. However up until Saturday he has never been able to go a yard past that distance, hence he was one of the first horses that punters put the pen through in Saturdays Trophy.

Mizuno did a superb job of getting the tearaway sprinter to relax and come back under him and even though pressured for the lead by the highly fancied Sheng Li Superstar and River Bobo, he remained ice cool on the son of Power (GB)until the two hundred metre mark; once  Mizuno got to work on the Irish import he surprised all by darting away, and kept up a strong gallop right down to the wire to win by one and quarter lengths from race favorite Victory Megastar (Luis Corrales), with Sheng Li Superstar (Peter Ho) in third.

Twenty two year old Mizuno is in Macau on a three month visiting license until August 31st. A natural lightweight at 110 pounds he had only ridden 78 winners prior to Saturday.

Fasuba raced six times in Ireland for a win in a Maiden stakes over 1000 metres at Dundalk on the all weather and two third placings at Dundalk and Tipperary.

His Macau record now reads six wins and three placings from his 12 starts and over $1.6 million HKD in prize money.

Leyshan’s Sixth Sense Pays Off

It’s been a long patient wait for owners Mike Caddy and S P Hussain with their English import Sixth Sense; but the wait is starting pay dividends with the son of Shamardal (USA) picking up his second win for the pair in Sundays Class 2 & 3 over 1500 metres on the turf.

Prepared by Peter Leyshan and ridden by C F (Charlie Chan), Sixth Sense came from well back in the field to explode down the outside for a brilliant win over Bring Me Glory (Oscar Chavez), with Trillion King (Peter Ho) in third.

Sixth Sense is an interesting horse that originally began his racing career in the UK under the Darley banner of Sheikh Mohammed and prepared by Mark Johnston.  As a two year he won the Listed Winkfield Stakes at Ascot over seven furlongs under William Buick. The impressive looking gelding looked set for a promising career however then developed chronic back problems and did not race for 12 months.

Trainer Peter Leyshan picks up the story. “We knew he had plenty of ability so that’s why when he went through the tried horse sales at Newmarket we were prepared to take the chance, and of course he went for very little money for a horse of his type and breeding.  He’s by Shamardal (USA) and out of a Sadler’s Wells mare; I had a good feeling about him from the time I seen him.”

“It’s been a bit of a battle getting him right; he was notorious for not jumping away well and that was a result of his back problems but we’ve gradually been able to get on top of it now. Whilst he managed a couple of placings it took him 18 starts to win his first race a month back, then he ran great race for third at 1800 metres in a race not run to suit, and then with the speed on up front he just really put it all together today. With luck it could have been three wins straight.”

With regular rider Wayne Smith on the sidelines through suspension, Leyshan had trouble booking a suitable jockey for Sunday’s race but doesn’t foresee that problem for the geldings next run.

“There’s a similar race on July 21st over the 1500 so I think there will be plenty putting their hand up to ride him next time.”

Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Hamel is another new rider to get his name on the scoreboard at the Taipa track when he gave a faultless display on the Victor Chan trained Game Of Dreams, to win the first of the day on Saturday the Class 5 & 6 over 1200 metres.

Game Of Dreams the race favorite proved a bit of a handful by being on one rein from the outset, however Hamel did a masterly job to keep him on track and the five year old went to the line strongly to beat the heavily bet Éclair Supreme (Eric Cheung), with House Of Power (Stephane Ladjadj) in third.

JB Hamel is also in Macau on a three month visiting license and has impressed all with his riding displays and whilst notching up five placings it took him a frustrating 17 mounts to break the ice. With over 560 career winners to date, Hamel has gained a wealth of experience riding outside of France in Germany, the UK, Spain, the UAE and Qatar in his travels.  He is sure to be in great demand in the future.

Frankie Choi enjoyed his best weekend in a long while kicking home three winners over the two days racing.

Choi was a former Champion Macau Apprentice in the 2014/2015 season with 24 winners, but has found things a bit leaner since his claim was reduced to three pounds; however he showed over the weekend that give the right opportunities he can still deliver the goods.

Choi scored on Saturday in the Class 2 & 3 over 1350metres (sand)on the Danny Wong prepared Bada Baby, and then got off to a flying start on the Pat Lee trained Go Go Mission in the first of the day on Sunday the Class 5 & 6 over 1200 metres on the turf.

The young rider then gave the K H Leong trained  Fortune Treasure a perfect run in transit before peeling of the back of leaders at the two fifty mark to power home for a half length win in the Class 1 & 2 over 1200 metres beating Unselfish Trust (Luis Corrales), with Mission Gdragon (Oscar Chavez) close up in third.