Derby hope Super Satin stars in Whyte four-timer
James Reed
16-Jan-2010 |
 Super Satin emphatically announced himself a major player for the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby honours by taking out Saturday's featured event at Sha Tin.
He played the starring role in a four-timer for nine-time champion jockey Douglas Whyte.
Taking an unconventional route to potential Classic honours in mid-March, Super Satin (Caspar Fownes) has crept through the grades, efficiently picking up middle-tier handicaps midweek at Happy Valley.
Reassigned to Sha Tin, the Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup (Class 2 - 1m1f) appeared his most testing mission to date - but the New Zealand import coped admirably and racked up his fourth straight win.
Whyte settled Danehill Dancer-sired gelding behind midfield before leaving a number of potential Derby rivals floundering with a tidy length-plus margin at the line.
Trainer Caspar Fownes has outlined the Mercedes-Benz HK Derby Trial four weeks hence over the same course and distance as the next target.
"That race will be at level weights against the best of those looking for a Derby slot, so we will get a better guide from there, but we are happy with how things are turning out," he said.
Reigning champions Fownes and Whyte have never combined too regularly in the past, so it was something of a rarity that they also teamed up earlier on the card via the similarly progressive El Morro, by Brief Truce, who won a Class 2 dash as he pleased.
"We tried him over slightly longer last time and it didn't work out, so the option was there to bring him back to sprinting good and proper," said the trainer after an eased-down two-and-a-half-length success.
"We thought he'd go well, but maybe not win by that margin," added Fownes.
Whyte's other two wins came via promising though bizarrely named newcomer Ejimeric Te Specso (John Size) and Sweet Sanette (Gary Ng), the latter bought from the South African sprint divisions last year and also one of the very few worthwhile mares stabled nowadays at Sha Tin.
Matthew Chadwick ~ Champion Apprentice
Earlier in the day, Matt Chadwick kicked off his career as a freelance rider ideally by riding the first two winners on the programme for Tony Cruz - the man who has done most to propel the teenager to stardom - aboard Single Malt and Perfect Fit.
Chadwick stands third on the jockeys' table presently behind leader Brett Prebble and Whyte, while trainer Cruz is in front in the trainers' ranks. |
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