Manduro - best horse on the planet

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

They are a confident bunch, in both HK and Japan. I just feel that if THEY thought the horses were capable, we would have seen so many more horses in Europe and America than we currently do.

Well at least HK is sending a couple to the BC.....

Hopefully Good Ba Ba (they're aiming for it anyway. We'll see), and one or two more.

I'm curious if King thinks they could compete in the G1's here.....

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

Well at least HK is sending a couple to the BC.....

Hopefully Good Ba Ba (they're aiming for it anyway. We'll see), and one or two more.

I'm curious if King thinks they could compete in the G1's here.....

Out of all of them, I think the most likely to succeed over here (and especially in America) would be Good Ba Ba. His turn of foot has the potential to win him races around the globe..... BUT his actual form leaves him a bit to find with the best milers in the world.

I would have really liked to have seen a top european miler in that race at the weekend, it would have told us SO much more.

[my miss storm cat]

Hello Pretty.....

He just got back and started working. He's one to watch out for.

I'll post when he's entered and you can tell me what you think.....

I think he's really special.

[my miss storm cat]

Manduro said he doesn't mind if i post about the pretty one again.

SCMP...
Saturday, February 09, 2008

Hello Pretty fit and ready to make up for lost time


MURRAY BELL


Hello Pretty, ridden by Marco Chui, shows he has come on from his long injury break in grand order with a solid trial effort on Tuesday. Photos: Kenneth Chan

Classy Hello Pretty has almost completed the long road back from a tendon injury and showed in a quality barrier trial performance at Sha Tin on Tuesday that his winning days are far from over.
Hello Pretty, handled by apprentice Marco Chui Kwan-lai, contested a trial over 1,600 metres on turf and did well to defeat race-fit four-year-old Visionario by a half length, and with a little extra to spare.

The Australian-bred six-year-old has won five of his 11 starts since his importation from Melbourne, where he was one of the stars of the Contract Racing stable of David Moodie and trained by Matthew Ellerton.

Hello Pretty won the 2006 Hong Kong Derby trial under the guidance of Gerald Mosse but was beaten after leading in Viva Pataca's Derby.

However, he returned the next season under the care of Tony Cruz and showed himself to be a proper high-grade performer, winning the Ladies' Purse (1,800m) from Good Ba Ba before trouncing Saturn and Viva Pataca in the Group Two International Cup Trial (2,000).

Hello Pretty has not raced since finishing second in the Stewards' Cup (1,600m) on January 28, 2007. This will be remembered as one of the best races in Hong Kong, with Armada winning by 1 1/4 lengths from Hello Pretty.

But it was the beaten brigade which adds so much lustre to this performance, in addition to the fact that they ran a sensational 1:34.1 for the metric mile.

Third in this vintage line-up was Viva Pataca, fourth was Bullish Luck and fifth was Vengeance Of Rain, with 2006 Hong Kong Mile winner The Duke sixth, and dual Group One winner Joyful Winner finishing seventh.

After that run, with the world seemingly his oyster, Hello Pretty gave his right front tendon a knock, giving Cruz no option but to give him the required rest and, along with the Jockey Club veterinarians, do his best to rehabilitate the talented gelding.

Cruz gave Hello Pretty a long-steady build-up after putting him back into work in July.

However, the gelding had another setback at the end of November but after a one-month break, he has quickly regained his fitness. And the scary news for his rivals is that he won this barrier trial on a build-up of just three gallops, so he should only go forward from this point in terms of general condition.

Visionario ran his heart out for Emma-Jayne Wilson in finishing second. However, the Canadian jockey really put it to the four-year-old and he had nothing left to give in the final stages, while Hello Pretty did the final stages of the trial nicely on the bridle.

The lone all-weather trial attracted only five runners but first and second - Express Win and Infinite Delight - seem worth following.

Express Win, trained by Dennis Yip Chor-hong, was handled by Douglas Whyte. He settled about five lengths off tearaway leader Classa For Ever, rounded the speedster up easily at the 200m and went to the line under a hold to score by a neck.

Infinite Delight, formerly prepared by Almond Lee Yee-tat but now earning his oats at the David Ferraris yard, was back and wide, without cover but ran on nicely under a hold from Brett Prebble.

The Class Two galloper has won just one of 12 since arriving as a private purchase from Australia but on the strength of this trial, he should be able to add to his record in the coming weeks.