Star Of Yiu Cheung continued on his winning way with another all the way win in Saturday’s Class 1 & 2 over 1500 metres, to chalk up his sixth win in Macau.

Prepared by former Champion Dubai jockey Wayne Smith, Star of Yiu Cheung made light of his outside gate twelve, to come out running and lead on the bridle under regular rider Peter Ho.  Although pressured mid-race by Éclair Sunshine, the five-year-old was always on the bridle and left his rivals standing at the top of the straight when he dashed clear.  Lover Paradise (Massa Tanaka) made a valiant attempt to run him down but to no avail.  Honest performer Luen On Poseidon (Stephane Ladjadj) ran on well for third.

Star Of Yiu Cheung is by Casino Prince (Aus) out of the Charge Forward mare Call Collect, and was originally a A$50,000 purchase at the 2107 Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YO’s in Training Sales, by Victoria Peak Thoroughbreds.  The gelding was aptly named Reverse Charges and placed in the care of Scone trainer Brett Cavanough.  His sole barrier trial at Hawkesbury yielded a very impressive second behindWhatever You Want, who was sold onto Hong Kong immediately after. 

Racing has always been a game of chance, there is no guarantees; Whatever You Want was renamed One Happy Star (Hong Kong), and is still struggling on a rating of 44 and yet to win a race; whilst Star Of Yiu Cheung has six wins and six second placings from his 12 starts, and nudging $2.5 million in prize money.

The bay gelding was beaten a short head in the Group 1 SJM Derby by Sacred Magnate, then was beaten a nose in the Group 1 Macau Gold Cup by Sacred Capital in August. It’s not unreasonable to say the gelding could have remained unbeaten in all 12 starts with a touch more luck, as he hasruined his chances on numerous occasions by racing too fiercely and refusing to settle. His biggest beaten margin has been one and quarter lengths by Electroplate Alloy in an unsuitable 1050 metres on the sand; all his other defeats have been only from a nose to a head.

“How lucky was I that he did not win the trial that day at Hawkesbury, otherwise he would have been off to Hong Kong. An ounce of luck is worth a ton of judgement isn’t that what they say. We ended up buying him for Macau at a very reasonable price after.” Smith said.

“His win was terrific today; Peter had to fire him up to cross them from the outside draw; then just when he tried to ease him and relax a bit, we were taken on by Éclair Sunshine. We were carving out some pretty quick sectionals in the back.”

“I had plans to take him to Hong Kong for a shot at the Group 3 races, and I have no doubt he would acquit himself well taking a line through Sacred Capital’s Hong Kong runs, but all of that has to wait until the Covid Virus has settled down.”

The win on Star Of Yiu Cheung completed a double for Peter Ho over the weekend, following his win Friday night on the Geoff Allendorf trained Oneofthegreats,who produced a gutsy front running performance to win the Class 2 over 1200 metres.

Oneofthegreats came out flying from gate six and soon took up the running. The son of Snitzel (Aus) was there for the taking at the two hundred metres with a wall of chasers on his tail, but maintained a strong gallop to hold on by three quarters on the wire from Loxwood (Luis Corrales), with Mission Gdragon (Dayversom Barros) in third.

Oneofthegreats has done a fine job in Macau with Friday nights victory win number four, along with four placed efforts and over $1 million HKD in prize money.  The now five-year-old was originally a A$250,000 yearling purchase at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Spendthrift Australia.  Racing in Victoria as British Medium for the Mick Price yard, he won a Maiden at Ballarat over 1600 metres and then failed to live up to expectations, and was sold onto Macau for a much more reasonable price tag.  The now five-year-old has proved to be a good investment for popular owner Mr. Thomas Lau and his associates.

Allendorf was again in the winner’s circle on Saturday with his highly promising Colonel Mordaunt who clung onto to victory to win by a head, in the Class 4 over 1500 metres under Frenchman Stephane Ladjadj. Colonel Mordaunt defeated Heartgoodallwell (Charlie Chan), with Money Link (Eric Cheung) close up in third.

The win was much better than it looked as the speed was a cracker from the outset,with the leader Georgian Ease running some nippy sectionals in the back, and a race set for something to finish from off the speed. Colonel Mordaunt’s run time was almost one second faster than the second division taken out later in the day by Mountain Eagle

Allan Tam led in a double for the weekend with two nice horses in Harvest Year and his newcomer Arriba Arriba.

Harvest Year a full brother to Tam’s flying sprinter Fasuba easily demolished his rivals in the 3- & 4-Year-Old Handicap 0 to 35 rated over 1350 metres under Roger Yu. It was win number three from only six starts for Harvest Year, who like his brother has a real affinity for the Macau sand track.

Arribba Arriba was even more impressive under Luis Corrales on Saturday, when he scored a dominant win in the 0 to 45 Maiden over 1200 metres.  A son of Denman (Aus), Arriba Arriba showed enough potential to get to Hong Kong as youngster and was placed in the care of Chris So. At his only run in Hong Kong over 1000 metres, he was prominent on the speed before a fading tenth beaten eight lengths. The gelding was found to have bled and was subsequently shipped back to New Zealand; after a long spell he found his way to Macau in August this year.

Saturdays win was full of authority and in a time quite comparable to Oneofthegreats the night before in the Class 2,on a track made a touch slower by overnight showers.

Roger Yu was the most successful jockey over the weekend with three winners. As well as his win on Harvest Year, Yu was successful on Winter Typhoon in Friday night’s Class 3 over 1050 metres, and Tokai Shinsei the Class 5 & over 1800 metres on Saturday.