|
|
|
| December 16, 2002 | Monday | Shawwal 11, 1423 |
Precision shocks super-horse Grandera
HONG KONG, Dec 15: Outsider Precision shocked Godolphin super-horse Grandera to win the $2.3 million Hong Kong Cup at the Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday.
The Frankie Dettori-ridden Grandera, which began the 2,000 metre showpiece at the Hong Kong International Races as the hot favourite, could manage only seventh.
The 40-1 oustider Precision, ridden by Mick Kinane held on to edge 14-1 German horse Paolini by a short head.
Gerald Mosse steered Danish horse Dano-Mast to third place at 16-1.
“I was looking for big things on my birthday but Grandera had no pace and was too slow. He was knocked off in the straight,” said Italian Dettori who turned 32 on Sunday.
Precision, running from an outside stall, took the lead in the home stretch and then narrowly held on to win the richest turf race in the world. He beat an illustrious field, including American horse Sarafan and Japanese horse Eishin Preston, which finished fourth and fifth respectively.
“I was confident that I had it won,” said delighted Irish jockey Kinane. “He has shown flashes of brilliance in the past and he saved it all for the right day.
Dettori and Grandera, however, were crowned champion jockey and horse of the World Series Championship respectively.
“It has been a great season for me. But today I had to take the rough with the smooth,” said Dettori, who ended the day without a win.
He failed to be placed in both the other two International Group One races riding Godolphin’s Ekraar in the Hong Kong Vase and Noverre in the Hong Kong Mile.
It was a good day for local horses. Apart from Precision, Olympic Express ridden by Weichong Marwing ran away with the Hong Kong Mile while Mosse won the Hong Kong Sprint on All Thrills Too.
The only overseas horse to break the local stranglehold was the Thierry Jarnet-ridden French raider Ange Gabriel which won the Hong Kong Vase.
Result
1. Precision (ridden by Mick Kinane) 40-1 2. Paolini (Andreas Suborics) 14-1 3. Dano-Mast (Gerald Mosse) 16-1
Distances: short head, half a length
Value to winner: HK$10.2 million
Winner owned by Wu Sai-wing and trained in Hong Kong by David Oughton.—Reuters
|
|
|
|
