Fortunate Son continues winning roll at Happy Valley
New Zealand-bred gelding Fortunate Son (NZ) (US Navy Flag) continued his outstanding start to the new Hong Kong season with a second consecutive victory at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
The Cody Mo-trained six-year-old made it two wins from as many starts this campaign when successful in the Class 3 Tai Hang Handicap (1800m), with Vincent Ho guiding him to his fourth Hong Kong victory.
The win also propelled Fortunate Son to the top of the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge with 30 points. The series offers a HK$1 million bonus to the best-performed horse in Class 3 races or above at Happy Valley through to February 17.
A son of U S Navy Flag and the Pins mare Pinstripe, Fortunate Son was bred in New Zealand and offered by Curraghmore at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, where he was purchased by Aspen Thoroughbreds for $70,000.
He won two races in New Zealand for Andrew Forsman before being sold to Hong Kong.
Fortunate Son has developed into a particularly effective performer around Happy Valley and entered Wednesday's race off an impressive victory over 1650m at the city circuit earlier this month.
Mo indicated the lucrative Million Challenge could now shape the gelding's programme through the coming months.
“I will just see the program first. The horse is more mature this season. If he has a smooth run with not much pressure, he can finish strong,” Mo said.
“I’ll have to see how many rating points he gets and if he is still in Class 3, then we can make some further planning. The focus is still on Happy Valley.”
Fortunate Son's victory completed a productive night for New Zealand-breds at Happy Valley, with Happy Smile (NZ) (Hellbent) and Danica's Choice (NZ) (Swiss Ace) also successful.
The Jamie Richards-trained Happy Smile produced a strong finish to claim the Class 4 Hong Kong Country Club Challenge Cup Handicap (1650m) under Derek Leung.
The New Zealand-bred son of Hellbent and Savabeel mare Fibbers was recording his first Hong Kong victory. Bred by Monovale Stud, the gelding was sold by Riversley Park to Pertab Racing for $100,000 as a yearling before being on-sold as at the NZB Ready To Run Sale for $150,000.
Danica's Choice continued his excellent Happy Valley form with victory in the first section of the Class 3 Mount Butler Handicap (1200m).
Ridden by Andrea Atzeni for trainer Manfred Man, the New Zealand-bred son of Swiss Ace and Snowfall scored by 1¾ lengths and continued a strong sequence at the city circuit, having won over the same course and distance in June before finishing runner-up in July.
Danica's Choice was bred by Gerry Harvey and won at Te Aroha for Annabelle Johnson when known as Mallister, prior to his export to Hong Kong.
