Hong Kong: Classic Unicorn jumps in class off impressive win
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The whole structure of the Hong Kong racing season centers around producing competitive races, but Classic Unicorn decided to practice extreme social distancing in his most recent race.
Classic Unicorn dashed to the lead on the backstretch of a 1,000-meter race May 26 at Happy Valley, was held together while asking to do more around the race’s one turn, got his cue in upper stretch and despite running with his head held higher than ideal blazed home to a four-length victory. That is a rare blowout win margin and it generated an unusually large ratings hike from the Hong Kong Jockey Club handicapping team, which raised Classic Unicorn a whopping 12 points, from 71 up to 83. That moves Classic Unicorn out of Class 3 competition, which he just dominated, and into a Class 2 for horses rated 100-80, the last of nine races and the feature on Wednesday at Happy Valley.
Post time for the finale is 10:50 a.m. Eastern on a card that starts at 6:45. Live video and wagering is available at bets.drf.com.
Four-year-old Classic Unicorn, a New Zealand-bred, now has won three of his six Hong Kong starts, though this was his first tally during the 2019-2020 Hong Kong season. He won his first two local races, straight-course sprints at Sha Tin, but has looked happier recently going around a bend at Happy Valley.
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The race’s other major ratings riser Golden Dash also was a front-running winner of a 1,000-meter Happy Valley Class 3 handicap in his most recent start, though he and jockey Zac Purton might be less intent on leading than Derek Leung on Classic Unicorn. Golden Dash’s rating went up from 75 to 83 and he, like Classic Unicorn, is assigned to carry 120 pounds.
Top-rated in this race is Stronger, a course and distance winner of a Class 3 earlier this season but a horse who has struggled a bit since hitting the Class 2 level.
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Hong Kong Win is rated 92 after a six-point rise based on his Class 2 victory last month in a straight 1,000-meter race at Sha Tin. He’s performed equally well over the one-turn Happy Valley distance, can stalk the pace or close from farther back, and retains the services of jockey Joao Moreira on Wednesday.