A slow early pace, a horse who needs time to find his rhythm and a trip that could play to his strengths – Dylan Mo has a clear picture of how the HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) could unfold at Sha Tin on Sunday (24 May).
Mo rides Francis Lui’s Winning Wing in his first appearance in Hong Kong’s staying feature and believes the maximum distance will play to the five-year-old’s strengths.
“I think he’s a long-distance horse,” Mo said. “I think 2400m is a good distance for him because, always at 2000m, he doesn’t have the gate speed to get a good position. And now, in 2400, I think the first section may be slow, and that can help him.”
Winning Wing’s last run was in the G3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup Handicap (2400m), where he finished one-and-three-quarter-lengths third, charging home late in yielding conditions, behind Romantic Thor, who will also line up in Sunday’s feature.
“Last time he ran over 2400m, and he gave me a good feeling. I think he can handle it this Sunday,” Mo added.
In March, Winning Wing made his Group 1 debut, finishing an admirable third behind Romantic Warrior in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m).
Sandwiched between those two strong Group-level performances, however, was a disappointing eighth-place finish in a Class 2 contest, something Mo was at a loss to explain.
“I don’t know what happened in that Class 2. I was a little bit disappointed,” he said.
With hindsight, the aberration could be explained by the 1800-metre distance, which might have been too sharp for Winning Wing; after all, he was charging home late, evidenced by his race-quickest penultimate 200m split of 11.0s, and finished just two and a quarter lengths off the winner.
A product of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School, Mo has enjoyed a long association with Winning Wing, piloting the Preferment gelding in all 18 of his outings to date in Hong Kong, for four wins, two seconds and four thirds.
He said he remains thankful that connections have entrusted him with riding a Group-level performer.
“I’m grateful to the owner and the trainer for giving me the chance to ride this Sunday in a Group 1,” the 32-year-old said. “This race is a big one, and it’s top-class horses in this race. So that I can get in this race… I’m very happy already! I don’t have any expectations, I’ll just try my best. I’ll enjoy the horse and enjoy the race.”
Winning Wing, drawn in barrier six, faces Triple Crown-chasing Romantic Warrior (four), Deep Monster (two), Cap Ferrat (nine), Rousham Park (three), Numbers (five), Ka Ying Generation (eight), Gentlemen Legacy (seven) and Romantic Thor (one).
Sunday’s (24 May) 11-race fixture at Sha Tin starts at 12.30pm with the Class 5 Standard Chartered Digital Assets Handicap (1600m).