At Sha Tin on Sunday exciting Deep Field gelding Winning Dreamer kept his record at a perfect five for five when scoring a stylish win over 1200m.
Trained by Frankie Lor, Wining Dreamer scored an easy length and a half win over 1200m in his first start in Class Two company.
“The handicap conditions made it easier for him, he was helped with gate one, too, and he’s still a young horse so this race has helped him – his first in Class 2 – he just needs time to improve,” said winning rider Vincent Ho.
“He’s still a bit hot but he settled a bit more today: he’s still got plenty to learn but I’m happy with him. Once he picked up, he let down so well and he stayed on really strongly to the line. When they accelerated, it was different for him because the pacing is different in Class 2 than what he’s been used to so far but he did it nicely.”
His trainer Frankie Lor did not rule out a tilt at the four-year-old-only Hong Kong Classic Mile in January, but acknowledged that such a test may come too soon and would be stretching the Deep Field gelding’s stamina to the limit.
“He keeps improving so I’m happy. In the straight, usually he can come past the horses quickly but because it’s Class 2 now he needed time to pass the front runners. We need to look at the programme and see if we stick to 1200 or go to 1400 metres. It’s exciting,” he said.
A $300,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Tartan Meadow Bloodstock / Mr Peter KS So from the Haunui Farm draft, Winning Dreamer is a half-brother to stakes-winner Ocean Jewel.
He is the fourth winner from Group III placed Markisa, who is also the grand-dam of Group winners The Real Beel and Catch Me.
A member of the illustrious Eight Carat (GB) family, Markisa is a half-sister to Group I winner Shower of Roses and daughter of Group I winner Marquise.
With his oldest progeny just four year-olds, his sire Deep Field is proving highly successful in Hong Kong with six winners from 15 runners.
Deep Field stands at Newgate Farm at a fee of $55,000.
