Aussie bred Starspangledbanner gelding Beauty Eternal capped a sensational season with victory in the Group III Premier Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday taking his trainer John Size and jockey Zac Purton closer to respective trainer and jockey championships.
The win also completed successive Group III victories for Beauty Eternal taking his overall record to seven wins from 10 starts. He also posted a third in this year’s BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and has never been out of the money with two other placings.
With seven wins this season, Beauty Eternal has ventured into the upper reaches of sustained success in a Hong Kong season. Only Beauty Generation and Lucky Sweynesse have won more in a single season with eight after Lucky Sweynesse – the world’s top-rated sprinter – equalled the record this season.
Beauty Eternal kept his winning run going with a long neck victory, but will not attempt to chase the record, with Size saying the gelding will now have a break and return for the new racing season.
“It was a good win,” he said.
“I suppose all wins are (good).
“They ran a bit of a slow sectional during the race and sort of made him sprint home and it was probably full stretch to sort of get there. So, I thought it was a tricky little race and he did a good job to get away with it.
“He’ll have a break now I’d say and then see what he is like at home with a bit of time off.”
A $90,000 Inglis Classic Highway Session purchase for John Foote Bloodstock from the Fernrigg Farm draft, Beauty Eternal is a half-brother to Group III placed Love Sensation and is the best of three winners from Ithacan Queen.
A placed daughter of Savabeel, Ithacan Queen comes from a deep European Black Type family featuring Group I winners such as Crowded House, Brando, Ticker Tape and Reckless Abandon.
Beauty Eternal is the second stakes-winner in Hong Kong for Starspangledbanner, who is back at Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $33,000.
