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Pleasure Gains enhanced his impressive track with a sixth Happy Valley victory and first at Group race level in the HKG3 January Cup on January 7.
Manfred Man’s charge had been no match for Designs On Rome when 10th in the G1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at his previous start and relished both the drop in grade and return to the Valley as he clinched the 1800m prize under an astute Douglas Whyte.
“I pretty much dictated the race,” said the South African. “The leader was going on at a nice clip and I could have gone out to him but I chose to hug the rail and ride for luck.”
Whyte enjoyed a dream run slip-streaming the front-running Sunny Ying as Khaya, third last start in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m), raced on his outside flank under Karis Teetan. With Khaya already being niggled on the top turn, Whyte angled out in pursuit of the John Moore-trained pacesetter as all around him rivals queued up for the challenge.
“Khaya actually came off the bit quite early, so I was able to come out underneath him and it was a winning move. I think if I had had to come around him I would have made too long a run,” said Whyte.
Sunny Ying boxed on gamely until capitulating inside the final 50m and it was Pleasure Gains who galloped on by to land the spoils by a head from Khaya with race favourite Harbour Master, the mount of Joao Moreira, running on to claim third, a further neck away. The winning time was 1m 49.38s.
“The horse is as honest as the day is long and I don’t think he’s run a bad race in his life,” said Whyte of the six-year-old Cape Cross gelding, who took his career record to eight wins from 19 starts.
“I started him off, funnily enough. I was the first one to ride track work on him but I got suspended after I rode him in his second race and didn’t get the ride on him again until tonight, so it’s been a long time coming but it’s a nice reward in the end.”
Trainer Manfred Man, who notched a quick double with All Great Friends in the next race, was delighted with Pleasure Gains’s success.
“He was down in class tonight and with 122lb to carry I thought he had a good chance,” said Man. “The jockey did the perfect job. He sat on the inside and then switched out and the horse finished very well. There is no plan now, we will see what rating he will get and look at the programme.”