Date posted March 15, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Danehill Dancer,
Premium Updates,
Racing and Breeding,
Staff FavouritesMelbourne, Vic (March 15th, 2010) - Super Satin confirmed his status as Hong Kong’s champion four-year-old with a stunning win in Sunday’s HK$16 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) at Sha Tin.
Trained by Caspar Fownes, the victory gave him and nine-time champion jockey Douglas Whyte, their first win in the prestigious event. Although the margin was slender Whyte, ‘Hong Kong’s pin-up jockey’, got the son of Danehill Dancer up to collar the Tony Cruz trained Super Pistachio, by a head.
A head in racing is as big a margin as an inch in golf or a line call in any sport, and the difference, was enough to throw Fownes and owner Ranjan Tikam Mahtani into ecstasies.
Whyte, ever the professional, appeared a little more restrained, but there was no doubt the win meant plenty judging by the big smile the popular South African rider had on his face as he weighed in.
Super Satin wins the Hong Kong Derby by a inch.
Ridden back off the speed by Whyte, Super Satin was able to get on the back of former Australian galloper Fair Trade (Danewin) approaching the home turn.
Shortly after straightening, Super Satin was still only eighth, and with 400m to go, they had plenty of room to sustain a long sprint down the outside and grab the game Super Pistachio (Danehill Dancer ex Pharapache by Lyphard), who’d had found the front at the 200m, with Brave Kid (Elusive City ex Gordon’s by Kaapstad) a length-and-a-quarter away in third.
The win of Super Satin gave Coolmore stallions’ a third group one victory for the weekend.
By Danehill Dancer, Super Satin was selected by former champion Hong Kong trainer Ivan Allan as a yearling at the 2007 Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast from the Baramul Stud draft for his owner Ranjan Mahtani.
“It’s been a long time to wait for this,” Whyte said. “The best part of 11 years.”
“And then this horse came along and I’ve stuck with him the whole way and he’s really let down and produced the goods on the big day.”
“Caspar (Fownes, winning trainer) has done a fantastic job,” Whyte added. “He’s come a long way.”
Whyte said he elected to grab the back of Fair Trade when Shane Dye elected to get moving as the pace slowed in front.
“They really hacked up and I made a do or die decision. Dye did that for me and I got onto his back.”
“He was only running 2000 metres for the first time so I had to bide my time and be patient and not hit the front too early,” he summed up.
Super Satin made his debut in Adelaide when the two-year-old was nosed out by subsequent stakes winner Catapulted at Morphettville.
In his two other runs for Phillip Stokes, Super Satin was unplaced behind Augusta Proud in the Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic before easily beating Cerberus Gal in a 2YO Maiden at Morphettville.
In recent months Super Satin has confirmed his status as one of the country’s best with four wins prior to his last start second in the Group Two Hong Kong Derby Trial.
He is the 105th individual stakes winner for champion international sire Danehill Dancer, Super Satin and is out of the British placed Rock City mare Mantles Princess, a half-sister to three stakes winners all by Danehill headed by Group One winners Johan Cruyff and Spartacus (Ire).
A truly international family, it includes Hollywood Derby winner De La Rose (Nijinsky) and her Group One winning son and sire Conquistarose (Conquistador Cielo).
