Derek Leung, Cody Mo star with trebles as Patch Of Theta takes Chevalier Cup

By Leo Schlink
Patch Of Theta continued impressive career progress at Sha Tin on Sunday (24 November) when the consistent gelding claimed the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Chevalier Cup Handicap (1600m) as Derek Leung and Cody Mo dominated with trebles.

Purchased for HK$8.6 million at the 2023 Hong Kong International Sale, Patch Of Theta improved his overall record to five wins and eight minor placings from 13 starts for champion trainer Francis Lui while boosting prizemoney earnings to HK$8.84 million.

Posting his first win beyond 1400m, the Zoustar gelding sealed a double for Lui by defeating Voyage Samurai and Sunlight Power in 1m 33.34s.

“He's a nice horse and I think he still has a little bit more improvement. I think he can (go higher than Class 2), but it all depends on the programme. There aren't many races coming up for him. We'll see,” Lui said.

Rated 52 at the start of last season, Patch Of Theta raced on a mark of 89 today.

Leung snared a treble after scoring on the undercard with Cody Mo-trained Super Wise Dragon and Alluring Laos to boost his season haul to 10 wins.

“It’s good and I’m very happy. I need to thank again the trainers and the owners for their support. Today is very lucky. I got three winners and a placing — I just need to keep it up,” Leung said.

“It hasn’t been smooth the past couple of meetings (with a three-day suspension), but it’s in the past. You’ve just got to move on. Things are getting better and it turned out pretty well today.”

James McDonald celebrated winning the 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award for the second time with a double, triumphing on Manfred Man’s Self Improvement in the Class 3 Chevalier Insurance Handicap (1200m, dirt) and David Eustace’s Swift Ascend in the Class 3 Chevalier Property Management Handicap (1200m).

McDonald was assured his second LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award when Auguste Rodin finished eighth in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) in Tokyo on Sunday under Ryan Moore, leaving the New Zealander with 160 points to Moore’s 150 for results in the LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group 1 races.

“It’s a huge honour and it’s just reflective of all the good horses I’ve ridden — I could almost name it the Romantic Warrior Award, to be honest with you, because he was such a huge contributor,” McDonald said.

“He’s obviously a world champion in his own right, so you have to be part of those sort of horses — the Via Sistinas of the world — so those two horses (Romantic Warrior and Via Sistina) were huge contributors and it’s a huge honour.

“I’m very proud of my year.”

McDonald rode nine winners at the highest level since 1 December, with Romantic Warrior providing four of those victories — G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), G1 Citi Gold Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m).

McDonald, who has ridden three doubles in three successive meetings for six wins from 24 rides since returning to Hong Kong for a short-term stint, previously won the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award in 2022.

Mo posted a personal best when the second-season trainer slotted his first Hong Kong treble with Super Wise Dragon, Alluring Laos and Offroad Master to continue a strong November campaign. Since the start of the month, Mo has tallied eight winners.

Mo struck with Super Wise Dragon in the Class 5 Chevalier E&M Engineering Handicap (1400m) and first-starter Alluring Laos in the Class 4 Chevalier Enterprise Digital Solutions Handicap (1000m), before Matthew Chadwick chimed in on Offroad Master in the Class 4 Chevalier Healthcare Investment Handicap (1200m, dirt).

“It’s my first treble. Conghua is helping the stable a lot and this season my team is good,” Mo said. “Super Wise Dragon had a bit of a breathing problem when he came to me and he struggled with his breathing a bit at Happy Valley. Today, draw one helped and he performed well.

“I thought Alluring Laos might run a good race. He showed some speed in his trials overseas and even in Conghua he chased home well. He's still a bit green and has more room to improve.

“I thought he (Offroad Master) could show something on the all-weather track. In his first run he was fourth, which wasn’t bad, and when I saw him trial (on the dirt), I thought he had ability and thought I’d try him on the dirt.”

Charming Legend, who was unbeaten in two Australian starts for Les Bridge, continued his winning ways with an impressive Hong Kong debut victory in the Class 3 Chevalier Property Development Handicap (1400m) for Danny Shum and Zac Purton. The Deep Field gelding earned a PP Bonus of HK$1.5 million.

A potential Four-Year-Old Classic Series contender, Charming Legend could be joined in the HK$52 million three-race series by Sky Trust, who clinched the Class 3 Chevalier Aluminium Engineering Handicap (1600m) for Caspar Fownes and Lyle Hewitson.

Chris So scored with Hong Kong debutante Hong Lok Golf in the Class 4 Chevalier Environmental Engineering Handicap (1200m). By Grunt, the Australian-bred scored at 42/1 for Harry Bentley before Matsu Victor provided the second upset of the day, prevailing in the Class 4 Chevalier Lifts & Escalators Handicap (1600m) at 44/1 for Lui and Keith Yeung.

Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (27 November).