TRACKSIDE WORLDWIDE

RED LION ROARS TO STUNNING UPSET ON FWD CHAMPIONS DAY

Heading into FWD Champions Day on Sunday, April 27, all eyes were on the seventh race, which promised to deliver fireworks. Voyage Bubble and Mr Brightside were expected to light up the track, but when Mr Brightside faded in the straight, it was the 89/1 outsider Red Lion who roared into the spotlight. Hugh Bowman, never one to miss a winning chance, sent Red Lion to the front and dared the field to catch him. 

Voyage Bubble loomed ominously in second, but Red Lion refused to yield, the pair locked stride for stride in a thrilling duel to the wire. In a heart-stopping finish, Red Lion held on by a nose. On paper, it looked like a major upset, but savvy punters who remembered last year's shock result wouldn’t be so surprised. Legendary trainer John Size had gone one-two then with Beauty Eternal and Red Lion, toppling Voyage Bubble. History repeated itself in spectacular fashion, and Red Lion’s connections will be grinning all the way to the bank with a hefty cheque in hand.

The biggest stakes race of the day, the FWD QEII Cup, didn’t bring quite the same drama but still showcased serious talent. Three of the four favorites came from Japan, and despite a few twists, the Japanese runners dominated. Tastiera led the charge, powering to victory while pre-race favorite Prognosis had to settle for second after a sluggish start. The talented seven-year-old just couldn’t claw back the ground he lost. Meanwhile, Liberty Island pulled up, denying Japan a clean sweep of the podium.

If domination had a face, it would be Ka Ying Rising. The world’s highest-rated sprinter lived up to every bit of the hype, cruising to his twelfth straight win with authority in the Chairman's Sprint Prize. His stranglehold on Hong Kong sprinting is undeniable, but the next big test looms large - Australia’s Everest in October, where he is already shaping as the horse to beat in the richest turf race in the world.

While the stars of the turf dazzled in Hong Kong, Australian racing quietly ticked along with a major moment of its own. At Morphettville on Saturday, April 26, the Group One $1m Australasian Oaks was run and won in emotional scenes. Benagil, trained by Glen Thompson, stormed to victory. After the tragic passing of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Michael Moroney earlier this year, Thompson took the reins at Ballymore Stables, and Saturday’s win surely carried extra meaning. Benagil thrived over the 2000m trip, sweeping wide into the straight and exploding away from the pack over the final 200m. It marked back-to-back wins in the race for champion jockey Mark Zahra, who took out last year’s edition aboard Vibrant Sun.

written by Joe Bell