Australasian bred sprinters filled the trifecta in the Group III Sha Tin Vase (1200m ) on Sunday with three year-old Star Turn gelding Cordyceps Six proving too good for Nervous Witness (Star Witness) and Lucky Patch (El Roca).
Trained by Richard Gibson, Cordyceps Six has been super consistent in his career to date rarely missing a place and produced a career best performance to win his first try at a Black Type race.
He powered to the line to win by a neck taking his overall record to six wins and four placings from 12 starts.
Cordyceps Six completed a meteoric rise with this brilliant win over Nervous Witness as the younger brigade prevailed over Hong Kong’s established sprinters.
Rated 60 at the start of the season, the Star Turn three-year-old has surged through the grades, starting with a Class 4 win in September to reach 100 in the handicap before Sunday’s career-best performance. He now boasts six wins and four minor placings from 12 starts with earnings of more than HK$9 million, a figure boosted by a Top-Up Bonus of HK$500,000.
“It’s very rare that three-year-olds do the job at this time. As a stable, we’re very proud of our big-race record,” said Gibson, who also trains champion sprinter Wellington.
“It was a wonderful ride from Alexis and I’ve got a special word for my staff because this horse was very tricky before the race.
“He ‘washes’ out in the paddock and they did a really good job today. He was a bit calmer than in his previous start so a big high-five to the guys. It’s pretty rare for a top racehorse to be so ‘washed’ out pre-race.
“He gets very upset before a race and it’s only when he gets out on the track that he starts to relax better. Alexis said he didn’t get the best of track runs in the traffic. I thought we came up to Nervous Witness very easily but it took a lot to get past him.”
A $140,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Sledmere Stud draft for N Lee, Cordyceps Six was a successful pinhook having been bought for just $25,000 out of the Newgate draft at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Bred by Henderson Racing and Cook Bloodstock, Cordyceps Six was foaled and raised at Newgate and is the first foal from unraced Hinchinbrook mare Sandcastles, a daughter of stakes-placed June Bug from the family of Group I winner Heat of the Moment.
Sandcastles has changed hands several times in recent years, most recently for $20,000 at the Inglis Broodmare Sale in 2020 and she was covered by Power (GB) last spring after missing to Sun City.
Cordyceps Six is the third stakes-winner for Vinery Stud’s Star Turn, who stands at a fee of $27,500.
