Four year-old All Too Hard gelding Patch of Stars has been carving through his grades in Hong Kong and had his first crack at Black Type in the Group III Sha Tin Vase (1200m) on Sunday emerging with a win, a timely result for his yearling half-sister to be offered at the Gold Coast .
Shooting for his third successive win, the Manfred Man trained Patch of Stars was sent out favourite with Karis Teetan to ride and he was tenacious to the line to hold off seasoned sprinter Raging Blizzard to win by a neck.
Patch of Stars is a sprinter on the rise with seven wins and four placings from 17 starts.
“It’s a nice to pick up a nice ride in this race. When I looked at the form, I thought it was gonna be a nice ride in this race with the weight, with the draw (gate one). I actually got a smooth passage today and he was very well through the week when I worked him and when I pressed the button today, he responded really well,” Teetan said.
“All the credit to Manfred and his team and thanks to the owners for supporting me.”
A $100,000 Magic Millions Book 2 purchase for Riversley Park/Michael Guerin from Baramul Stud, Patch of Stars was a wildly successful pinhook making $800,000 when re-offered by Riversley Park at the NZB Ready to Run Sale where he sold to his current owners Yeung Kin Man.
He is the first stakes-winner among four winners from Tuscany Lady, an unraced Mossman mare from the family of Group winning sprinters Heather and Peat Bog.
Patch of Stars is the 35th stakes-winner for Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard, who covered Tuscany Lady again last spring.
