Inglis Premier graduate Full Of Beauty became the first pattern race winner of the new season in Hong Kong when he sped down the Sha Tin straight stopping the clock at 55-16s for the 1000 metres in the Group III National Cup.
With Joao Moreira in the saddle, the John Size-trained son of Darci Brahma defeated the veteran Lonhro galloper Jolly Banner by a neck with a short-head back to the first-crop I Am Invincible gelding Wishful Thinker in third. (image Grant Courtney)
After winning his first five starts at Sha Tin earlier this year, Full Of Beauty ran consecutive seconds before ending his season with a fourth when stepped up to Group III grade in The Sha Tin Vase in May.
"It was nice, he had that good record so at $2.4 it wasn’t unexpected that he was going to come back in his second preparation and improve,” Size told Hong Kong Racing.
"He’s never seen the straight before and it looked like he’d never seen it after he jumped – he didn’t look like he quite knew where he was or what he was doing. He had enough advantages to win.”
A $120,000 Inglis Premier purchase for John Foote Bloodstock from the Maluka Thoroughbreds draft, Full of Beauty is the best of two winners from stakes-winning Align mare Pennacchio who is a half-sister to the dam of Listed winner Strada Cavallo (Alamosa) who was runner-up in the Group1 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas and third in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks
Pennacchio has a 2yo filly by Dundeel and was covered by Proisir last spring.
