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A drop in class coupled with a positive ride from emerging apprentice jockey Wong Chin Chuen saw Coronet Peak score an easy win in the $60,000 Class 4 Division 1 race (1200m) on Friday night.
The David Hill-trained galloper showed an abundance of speed when he sprang out of the machines under Wong’s strong urgings to find the steel, but soon drew the attention of a trio of horses made up of Kiss Me (Shafiq Rizuan), Gold Line (Barend Vorster) and Enlighten Knight (Chan Wei Sheng) right on his outside before Roma (Alan Munro) in turn whipped around to sit on his girth to the home turn.
But Wong stayed cool and composed throughout in spite of the posse of horses nipping at his heels. Once he got stuck into Coronet Peak ($23) as they took the shortest way home along the rails, it was game over.
Gold Line and Racer King (Mark Ewe) tried to put an indent into the margin but to no avail with Coronet Peak racing away with no signs of letting up to go and record a comfortable three-length win from Kiss Me, who found his feet late in the piece, with Gold Line settling for third another half-a-length away. The winning time was 1min 12.21secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.
Hill said he had studied the speedmap of the 10-horse field and concluded their best chance was to go forward.
“There was no speed in the race and I told the kid to ride him positively,” said the English conditioner.
“I was very happy with the way he rode him. Anyway he was back in grade and he didn’t beat much.”
Wong, who transferred his indentures from Penang trainer Dr Tan Swee Hock to Hill when he crossed the Causeway in June, said he only followed his new master’s instructions to the letter.
“My boss told me there would not be much pace in the race and to take the lead if I can,” said Wong.
“He actually felt better when he leads. I was not worried about the horses around me as he was always on the bit.
“All the credit must go to the horse and the trainer. I just sat and steered him.”
A South African-bred eight-year-old by Kahal, Coronet Peak, who used to be raced by the Newbury Racing Stable of Ato fame, is now owned by Lady Luck No 2 Stable and has brought up a total of $380,000 in stakes earnings from his record that now stands at six wins and 15 placings from 35 starts.