Two lightly raced promising three year-olds by Real Impact (Jpn) and Toronado (IRE) opened their account at Happy Valley last night.
Trained by Jimmy Ting, Real Impact gelding The Anomaly was long odds in a Class four event over 1200m when making his debut , but surged late to win by a short head impressing his trainer.
“I was a little bit surprised, but I thought he would run very well because this race was not very strong,” Ting said.
“We got a good draw (barrier two) and I thought he would run very close. Before the race, I thought he would finish third, fourth or fifth – very close.
“To win is a little bit of a surprise but he is a good horse, a very good horse.
“I think his best distance is a mile, he is a nice horse.”
A $46,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Two Bays Farm draft for Jadeskye Racing / Brad Widdup Racing, he trialled twice for Widdup before switching to Hong Kong last year.
The first Hong Kong winner Arrowfield Stud shuttler Real Impact, The Anomaly is the second winner from Lovely Rita (NZ), a winning Deputy Governor mare from the family of Group I winners Derobe and Pompeii Ruler.
Toronado nearly had a Group I winner in Hong Kong on Sunday when Lucky Express was a good second in the Classic Mile and he sired his fourth winner from six runners in the jurisdiction when Ever Force won the second division of the Class Four event over 1200m.
Trained by Danny Shum and ridden by Zac Purton, Ever Force was favourite after finishing sixth and fourth at his first two starts and scored a tenacious win.
A $50,000 Magic Millions Book 2 purchase for Will Clarken from the Aquis draft, Ever Force won a barrier trial at Gawler before relocating to Hong Kong last year.
Ever Force is the third winner from three foals to race from Al Nova, who looks to have been a great purchase for Embrook Stables, snapped up for $27,500 from the Aquis draft at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
She was in foal to Deep Field at the time and the resulting filly was sold at Magic Millions this year for $160,000 to Heinrich Bloodstock.
A seven time winner by Al Samer from the family of Group II winner Avienus, Al Nova had a filly last year by Spill the Beans and was then covered by Deep Field’s Group II winning son Cosmic Force.
