It’s not very often a trainer describes himself as devastated after saddling a double on a Group One day at Sha Tin.
But that’s exactly how David Hayes felt after a roller-coaster afternoon that featured two trips to the winner’s enclosure, Fantastic Treasure overachieving with fifth in the Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m), Ka Ying Rising getting pipped again and one of his favourite horses taking no part in a race.
It was Global Harmony who let the side down when refusing to come out of the stalls in the Class Two Tin Wan Shan Handicap (1,400m) and his recalcitrant nature has left Hayes mulling his options.
“He’s a genuine Group horse and he is the best horse I saddled up today, so I’m devastated,” Hayes said.
“Global Harmony is such a good, young horse and I hate it when they stand in the gates. [Jockey] Lyle [Hewitson] just said he was like a mule and that he just sat there and froze.
“I’m going to give him an easy week and then trial him on Friday. If he doesn’t trial properly, I’ll spell him at Conghua and just reset him because I find that if they do it again, you’re not going to get them back this prep.”
There was, however, one positive to be gleaned from the race as eventual winner Mugen franked the form of Hayes’ Ka Ying Rising and his conqueror Wunderbar, who fought out a fantastic finish for the second time in Sunday’s Class Three Bennet’s Hill Handicap (1,200m).
“[Ka Ying Rising] got beat by [Wunderbar] again, but I took great heart in seeing [Mugen] win his race because those two young horses thumped him [last start],” Hayes said.
“I think I’ve got a couple of really nice ones. The [Private Purchase Griffins] are working for me, which is really good.”
Hayes finished his up-and-down day on a high when exciting three-year-old Storm Rider followed up a win on New Year’s Day with another in the Class Three Tsz Wan Shan Handicap (1,200m) under a good Zac Purton ride.
“This is a good horse,” Hayes said. “Zac said that they went way too fast and he was still good enough to beat them.
“It was a good effort because they went too fast for the first 600m. I’ll keep him at 1,400m for the moment and I’ll run him on Chinese New Year.”
Storm Rider’s victory completed a treble for Purton and a double for Hayes.
Purton won the first two races on the card, saluting aboard Rattan World in the Class Five Beacon Hill Handicap (1,200m) and Golden Rise in the second section of the Class Four Caroline Hill Handicap (1,400m), while Hayes opened his account when Rubylot scythed through the field up the Sha Tin straight to salute in the Class Four Cheung Shan Handicap (1,000m) under Hugh Bowman.
“It was an 11 out of 10 [Hugh Bowman ride] and he would have been unlucky to lose as he got held up,” Hayes said. “We might keep him up the straight, it was good and he’s a nice young horse.”
Rubylot’s win was the first leg of a race-to-race double for Bowman, who followed up with a win aboard Superb Kid in the Class Four Po Leung Kuk Cup (1,400m).
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