COLLECTION (Peintre Celebre), winner of the Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot
in June before he was sold to Hong Kong interests, lived up to the billing as
the 2-5 favorite to take the Hong Kong Derby (HK-G1) over 2,000 meters at Sha
Tin on Sunday.
The four-year-old raced in 12th in the opening salvos behind a slow pace
before jockey Darren Beadman asked the gelding to engage the leaders early.
Despite moving into second with a half-mile left, the bay had plenty in reserve
in the stretch and was never threatened, defeating runner-up Thumbs Up (Shinko
King) by 1 1/2 lengths, with an additional three lengths back to Mr Medici
(Medicean) in third. The final time over good turf was 2:02.50.
“I had to play the cards that were dealt to me,” Beadman said of the decision
to move early. “The pace was very muddling, but he is quite a seasoned horse
given that he raced over this sort of ground in Europe at a high level.”
Following a fifth in the Topkapi Trophy (Tur-G2) in September, the gelding
was purchased by trainer John Moore’s ownership syndicate from previous owner
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Ltd.
“I had my eyes on (Collection) for months in the hope that the Highclere
would sell him, and eventually we were able to get him,” Moore said. “I first
saw him in July and I had to convince the members of my trainer syndicate that
this was the horse we had to get, and it’s wonderful that it has all paid off.”
Moore has opted to point Collection towards the Champions Mile (HK-G1) on
April 26 in order to keep him separate from stablemate Viva Pataca (Marju), who
is aiming for the 2,000-meter Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1) on the same card.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea to have them bumping at this stage
because Viva Pataca has been unlucky not to win more of these international
Group 1 races, and I want to give him his fair chance to win another one at his
age while Collection is still improving,” the conditioner explained.
Both Moore trainees could meet in the Champions at Chater Cup (HK-G1) over
2,400 meters on May 31.