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Racing Review
Corrales Shines on Megastar
2021-05-17 by Harry Troy
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It’s been a longtime between drinks for the former 1350 metre track specialist Victory Megastar, but reuniting with top jockey Luis Corrales did the trick in Saturdays Class 2, with the nine-year-old scoring his seventh win in the enclave in brilliant fashion.

It was the Victory Megastar of old, as he produced a slick turn of foot to race on by of his much younger rivals to easily defeat the reigning 1350 metre specialist in Oriental Joyful (Roger Yu), with Tremendous Wins (J B Hamel) a head away in third place.

Along with his seven wins in Macau, the son of Medicean (GB) has a further 12 placings to his resume from his 41 starts in the enclave, with his prize money earnings now nudging the $3 million HKD mark.

The bay gelding had not won a race since March 2019, when he easily won the Group 3 Sand Classic Cup at the distance with Luis Corrales on top. Corrales has always had a wonderful rapport with Victory Megastar, with the Panamanian born rider having ridden the gelding in all of his seven wins; he has also made the quinella spot on another four occasion from his 22 rides on the horse.

Victory Megastar arrived in Macau from the UK at the end of the 2016 racing season on a rating of 60 points, after winning a 2YO Maiden Stakes at Kempton over 1400 metres and placing second over 1432 metres at Wolverhampton, both on the all-weather tracks, when prepared by Clive Cox at Lambourne.

Initially prepared in Macau by James Moore, the gelding was unbeaten in his first four runs at the 1350 metres and rose to a rating of 92 points, before transferring to his present trainer Tony Fung. At his peak he was rated at 113 points, and whilst he was a long time out of the winner’s circle, he still maintained a fairly consistent place record at the 1350 metre journey.

Down to a rating of 84 for Saturday’s race Victory Megastar looked well placed, and presented in the yard in immaculate condition for a rising ten-year-old, a testament to Fung’s good work.

The Joe Lau prepared Lucky Gold was another that appreciated a drop in the ratings and the winning touch of Luis Corrales, when he returned to the sand for an easy win in the 1050 metres Class 3 & 4.

Lucky Gold a son of Captain Rio (GB) was far too good for Casino Mok (Eric Cheung), with Blue Glory (Peter Lao) in third.

Lucky Gold is raced by the very popular Hong Kong Actor and TV Star Eric Tsang. The seven-year-old has now won three races in Macau and placed a further 13 times, with earnings now tipping the $1 million HKD dollar mark.

The victory gave Corrales two winners for the afternoon and stretched his lead to 10 wins in the riders’ standings. Corrales leads on 47 wins from Eric Cheung on 37, with Masa Tanaka in third spot on 29 winners.

They say that perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding on the 20th; and that patience, is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. 

The two sayings certainly apply to owner Yeung Kam Wing and trainer Stephen Chow, after Fully Realised made it three straight wins in Saturdays Class 4 & 5 over 1200 metres.

Fully Realised had his first race start as a three-year-old back in October 2018, turning in a what was a creditable fourth, beaten one and quarter lengths by Pearl Delight over 1200 metres. It was a run that suggested the gelding would have no trouble breaking his maiden status in the near future.

Now six years old and twenty-one starts later, and on a lowly rating of 13 points, one would be forgiven if you decided it was time to throw in the towel. Not so owner Mr. Yeung and trainer Chow, as they lined Fully Realised up for run number 22 back on February 27. 

Under the guidance of Japanese rider Masa Tanaka, the gelding was confidentially bet down to second favorite, and ran on strongly to beat race favorite Sport General over 1200 metres in Class 6 on the turf. One month with later with Tanaka in control again, the gelding finished strongly to win another Class 6, also at 1200 metres. 

On Saturday, Fully Realised not only handled the rise up to Class 4 & 5, but unleashed a dazzling turn of foot under Tanaka to zoom down the outside to score easily, over Fortune Fast (Frankie Choi), with Sport General (Shogo Nakano) in third.

It’s been a just reward for both owner and trainer, and the run time posted by Fully Realised of 1.09.2, suggests that his winning ways can continue.

Éclair Boom was another that continued on his winning way on Saturday, when he posted his third win straight in the Class 4 over 1800 metres to give Masa Tanaka a double for the afternoon.

Prepared by Peter Leyshan, the five-year-old son of Spirit Of Boom (Aus) is one of the most consistent horse racing in the enclave, with now four wins under his belt, and eight placings from his 22 starts.  Even when the gelding finishes out of the top three spot, he is seldom more than a couple of lengths away. 

Given a perfect box seat ride by Tanaka, Éclair Boom finished too well for The Macallan (Eric Cheung), with Peter Leyshan’s other runner King Of Champions (Breinell Yamzon) in third.

 


Victory Megastar

Luis Corrales and Tony Fung

Lucky Gold

Fully Realised (9)

Eclair Boom


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