Hong Kong: Exultant holds on to win Queen Elizabeth II Cup

Exultant did all the dirty work and bravely held off Furore to post a three-quarter-length win in the Group 1, $3.23 million Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.

Exultant, with jockey Zac Purton intent on keeping Time Warp from stealing off to an easy lead, ran an exceptionally fast middle portion of the 2,000-meter QE II, and even as Time Warp ran out of gas with 300 meters to go, Exultant ran on. Furore, who finished more than three lengths clear of third-place Eagle Way, gained on Exultant through the final furlong, but the outcome never really seemed in doubt.

“My fella, at the 300-meter mark, was just starting to struggle a little bit,” said Purton, who, with this win, now has captured every Group 1 race in Hong Kong. “Down to the 200- [meter mark] I knew there was a horse coming and I could sense my bloke was at his bottom, he didn’t have anything else, so I was certainly worried, but my guy, he just kept galloping along and did enough.”

No wonder Exultant was, as his pilot put it, out of gas. Time Warp had led all the way beating Exultant in the local prep for the QE II earlier this month, and Purton’s focus was keeping Time Warp from an easy lead Sunday. Exultant didn’t start sharply and raced fifth around the first of two turns, but on the backstretch, Purton let him roll up to press Time Warp, a tactically sound move but one that forced the odds-on favorite into a very fast interior 800 meters. Exultant ran his third 400-meter split in 22.67 seconds and his fourth such interval in 22.66, so when he reached the 400-meter mark, Exultant had just raced 800 meters, about a half-mile, in 45.33. That he still was able to come home in 23.95 was a testament to his heart and stamina.

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“Exultant’s a tough customer,” Purton said.

Exultant, who paid $3.10 to win on the North American tote and clocked 2:00 over a good course, had rallied strongly to finish second behind Win Bright in the 2019 QE II. Win Bright shipped from Japan, but Sunday’s races were run without international horses and sans spectators because of the novel coronavirus.

Trained by Tony Cruz, 6-year-old Exultant is an Ireland-bred son of Teofilo and Contrary, by Mark of Esteem who was called Irishcorrespondent before being exported to Hong Kong. Cruz swept the top two placings with Furore much better than third-place Eagle Way. Time Warp faded to fifth, done in by racing too fast, too soon against too good an opponent.

Stunning back on top in Chairman’s Sprint Prize

Mr. Stunning won seven times in his first Hong Kong starts back in 2016 and 2017. He won the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint in 2017 and 2018. That peak form seemed long gone. Mr. Stunning also came into Sunday’s Group 1, $2.32 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize with no wins this Hong Kong season and none since the 2018 Hong Kong Sprint, but came out of it with his first victory in 19 months.

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Splitting horses 200 meters out under a patient ride from Karis Teetan, Mr. Stunning stuck his head in front with 50 meters to go and drew away in the final strides to win by three-quarters of a length.

Big Time Baby finished second by the same margin over Thanks Forever, neither horse able to finish the job, despite holding a winning hand a furlong out. Hot King Prawn, the solid second choice, also failed to produce the needed late speed, finishing fourth, but he was much better than favored Aethero. Aethero led, folded up in midstretch, trailed home a distant last, and was found to have bled from both nostrils due to exercise-induced cardio-pulmonary hemorrhage. Race-day Lasix, which can restrict bleeding, is not permitted in Hong Kong.

Mr. Stunning clocked 1:08.40 for 1,200 meters over good turf and paid $43.80 to win in America. Big Time Baby went off at an even longer price.

Teetan rode Mr. Stunning, a 7-year-old Australian-bred by Exceed and Excel out of With Fervour, by Dayjur, for trainer Frankie Lor. Mr. Stunning had to be scratched from the 2019 Chairman’s Sprint Prize after developing a hairline shoulder fracture and didn’t start between April 7 and Nov. 17. He hadn’t finished better than third in six starts this season before the combination of his improved performance and subpar showings from other ones returned Mr. Stunning to the winner’s circle.