Irish bred Starspangledbanner gelding California Spangle (IRE) added another feature win to his impressive resume when taking out the Group II The Chairman’s Tropy (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Trained by Tony Cruz, California Spangle beat the champion Golden Sixty to win the Group I Hong Kong International Mile last December and scored a tenacious half length win for Zac Purton.
“We still won the race today and I’m very happy about that, but next time he runs we’ll definitely go to the front,” Cruz said after California Spangle stalked Healthy Happy before edging to the front in the straight and staving off Money Catcher and Beauty Joy late.
“It wasn’t his kind of race today, the time (1m 34.17s) was slow, too. I reckon next we’re definitely not going to run this way again. We’re not going to make the same mistake again – he should have led the race. He’s so used to going to the front, you can’t stop him. But today he still wins.”
With 10 wins and seven minor placings from 17 starts, California Spangle looms as one of Golden Sixty’s main rivals in the Group I FWD Champions Mile and Cruz is hopeful of upsetting Hong Kong’s highest-rated horse again.
“He’s (California Spangle) in top shape now and I reckon he’ll be ready for the 30th (of April). I’m very confident about my horse and I believe we still have a good chance (of beating Golden Sixty).”
California Spangle is the best of five winners from Pearlita’s Passion, a half-sister by High Chaparral to Group II winner Shakespearean.
Starspangledbanner has a great strike rate with daughters of High Chaparral with 14 winners from 18 runners and three stakes-winners that also include his Group I winning 2YO The Wow Signal.
Newgate Farm will stand Starspangledbanner’s Cox Plate winning son State of Rest (IRE) this spring at a fee of $44,000.
