COLLECTION Won THE MERCEDES-BENZ HONG KONG DERBY 2009

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HKJC
March 22, 2009

Race Meeting :22/03/2009 Sha Tin Race 9(487) Hong Kong Group One - 2000 Metres THE MERCEDES-BENZ HONG KONG DERBY 2009 HK$ 16,000,000.00 Going : Good Course : Turf - "A+3" Course 1st COLLECTION(K...

Race Meeting :22/03/2009 Sha Tin
Race 9(487)
Hong Kong Group One - 2000 Metres
THE MERCEDES-BENZ HONG KONG DERBY 2009
HK$ 16,000,000.00
Going : Good
Course : Turf - "A+3" Course
1st COLLECTION(K217)D Beadman
2nd THUMBS UP(K005) C Soumillon
3rd MR MEDICI(K218) E Saint-Martin

Cool, calm Collection cruises to Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby glory

22 March 2009

Collection is unquestionably the latest superstar of Hong Kong racing after a resounding victory in the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Backed into odds of 2/5 favourite, the shortest priced runner in the race for a decade, the British import did not disappoint his legions of admirers with a one and a half length victory from market second pick, Thumbs Up, who in turn was nearly three lengths in front of the third home, Mr Medici.

It was the third win in the race for trainer John Moore after Makarpura Star in 1995 and Viva Pataca in 2006. Jockey Darren Beadman, meanwhile, was savouring his first success in the HK$16m classic and earned many post-race plaudits after a brilliant, take-no-prisoners ride.

Few Derby winners can ever have done it as tough as Collection but still come home such a dominant champion. As expected, the early exchanges of this ten-furlong event were sedately run. Beadman settled the imposing Peintre Celebre gelding in 12th at least eight lengths from the lead before allowing him to cruise up to second place with half a mile to race. Off the home turn, Beadman kicked on and never looked in danger of relinquishing the advantage.

"I had to play the cards that were dealt to me. The pace was very muddling but he is quite a seasoned horse given that he ran over this sort of ground in Europe at a high level. But all the credit goes to John Moore. It was a fantastic training effort," Beadman said.

"The horse has made huge progress over the last three or four weeks. When the pace was steady I had to make a split-second decision to go forward so I went for it because I had full confidence in the horse. His last quarter was his fastest so it was pretty outstanding overall."

The winning time was 2 min 2.5 seconds on the good-rated track with the Collection's final individual split coming in 22.23 seconds.

Moore later expanded on the planning that had gone into acquiring Collection, winner of the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot last year when trained by William Haggas for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Ltd.

"It's been a long range objective. I had my eyes on him for months in the hope that the Highclere would sell him and eventually we were able to get him. I first saw him last 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," he said.

"It's also great for the Jockey Club as well since it was the Club's idea to get people interested in trying to buy the best horses on the market via these Trainer Syndicates."

Looking ahead, Moore said Collection would drop back in distance to the Champions Mile in order to avoid stable companion Viva Pataca in the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup that same day, 26 April.

"I don't think it would good to have them bumping at this stage because Viva Pataca has been unlucky not to win more of these international Gr.1 races and I want to give him his fair chance to win another one at his age while Collection is still improving.

"So Collection will go for the Champions Mile and I think he would be very competitive in that race because he has got a hell of a turn of foot and they will go the speed he wants."

Moore predicted both his champions would eventually meet in the stayers' championship at the end of the season, the Citi Champions & Chater Cup, on 31 May.

"Both horses are great champions, let them meet at the end of the season and see how they go then. But I just want to enjoy the moment. Collection has won the Derby, Darren has ridden the race of his life and the I'm over the moon for everybody connected with the stable."

Category: Sports

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Highlights sports horse racing race horseracing COLLECTION Beadman derby

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