Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
The seven year-old Written Tycoon gelding sensationally catapulted himself into LONGINES Hong Kong International Races reckoning after running the second-fastest 1200m time in Hong Kong racing history.
The only horse to ever run 1200m faster in Hong Kong is Tomodachi Kokoroe’s stablemate Ka Ying Rising, the world’s best sprinter.
The length and a half win over Raging Blizzard came courtesy of a perfectly judged ride from Harry Bentley, who has now won three of four rides on Tomodachi Kokoroe.
“Sometimes you paint a race map that you pray your horse will get, and Harry (Bentley) put him in that spot,” Hayes said.
“Harry wasn’t happy with the run he gave him last time, but was shocked by how he fought and held on. And then when he gave him a good run, like first up, he’s killed it. That was a 10-out-of-10 ride.”
Hayes is now in the enviable position of having two world-class sprinters in his yard, who may well provide the stiffest opposition for each other at the December showpiece.
“He runs time, so you can’t ignore that,” said Hayes.
“If he gets a good run in a big race, he’ll run well.
“He’ll probably run in the traditional (LONGINES HKIR) lead-up race – the trial (the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint, 1200m), he’ll run on that day. And whether he runs against Ka Ying (Rising), we’ll see how Ka Ying does when he gets out of quarantine.”
Tomodachi Kokoroe has had an interesting path to Hong Kong.
He was sold by Glastonbury Farm as a weanling at the Magic Millions National Sale for $175,000 and then after three starts in Victoria which produced one third placing he was offered on Inglis Digital in March of 2022 where he was bought by Queensland trainer Ricky Ludwig for $25,000.
Sent to Far North Queensland, the son of Written Tycoon had six starts as a three and four year-old and won them all racing as Bank Bank Bank before being sold to Hong Kong.
Tomodachi Kokoroe has the overall record of 13 wins and eight placings from 43 starts and is now the 81st stakes-winner for Written Tycoon.
Bred by Hilldene Farm, he is the best of four winners from five foals to race from Rainbeam, a t here-quarter sister by Fastnet Rock to stakes-placed Skydance Eclipse from the family of Group I winner Summer Passage and Group II winners Shania Dane and top class Hong Kong stakes-winner Scintillation.
Rainbeam has foaled this spring producing a colt by Red Resistance.
