Furore prevails in Hong Kong Classic Mile

Furore, who was third and sixth in Group 1 races in Australia last spring, won for the first time in Hong Kong in his third start on the circuit in Sunday’s $1.27 million Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse.

A 4-1 chance, Furore finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of 20-1 Mission Tycoon, giving trainer Frankie Lor a sweep of the top two positions in the field of 14. Ka Ying Star (6-1) finished third, while the Lor-trained Dark Dream, the 9-5 favorite, finished fourth.

Lor, who had five runners in the field, won four of the 10 races on Sunday’s card.

Furore was ridden by Hugh Bowman, the regular rider of the Australian Horse of the Year Winx.

In the Hong Kong Classic Mile, Bowman had Furore off the pace early and overcame traffic in the stretch to take the lead in the final furlong. Furore was timed in 1:34.28 in a race that is a prep for the Hong Kong Derby at 1 1/4 miles on March 17.

“I’m delighted with him,” Bowman told Hong Kong publicity. “This is not his trip. After a performance like that over this distance, that’s very exciting for the rest of his Derby participation.”

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Bowman was cited by track stewards for causing interference in the stretch, which led to trouble for several runners. Bowman was suspended from Wednesday to Feb. 7, a period of three racing days in Hong Kong, and was fined approximately $9,615 for the incident. Bowman was riding in Hong Kong on a one-day license.

Furore has won five of nine starts. He won four of six starts in Australia in 2018, including a third in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas last March and a sixth in the Group 1 Australian Derby last April.

Earlier on the Sha Tin program, Exultant, the winner of the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase against an international field in December, won the Group 3 Centenary Vase at 1 1/8 miles on turf to give trainer Tony Cruz his 1,200th win in Hong Kong.

Ridden by top jockey Zac Purton, Exultant (6-5) overcame trouble at the start to win the $414,250 race by 1 1/4 lengths over 37-1 Dinozzo. Romantic Touch, an 83-1 outsider trained by Cruz, finished third in the field of nine. Glorious Forever, who won the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup at 1 1/4 miles in December, could only finish eighth, beaten 8 1/4 lengths.

Exultant carried 132 pounds, one fewer than topweight Time Warp, who finished last. Time Warp and Glorious Forever are full brothers.

Owned by a partnership, Exultant benefited from a pace duel between Pingwu Spark and Time Warp.

“He’s just a stayer, but he’s a stayer with class,” Purton said. “He continues to get better.”

Cruz said Exultant will start in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on turf Feb. 17 and is under consideration for the Group 1 Sheema Classic at 1 1/2 miles on turf in Dubai on March 30.

Cruz, 62, is a former leading jockey in Hong Kong who began training in 1996. He won 946 races as a jockey in Hong Kong.