Bidding for more success after posting his first winner of the season at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (September 28), Luke Currie has secured the ride on Hong Kong Sprint victor Sky Field in the Group 3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on Saturday (October 1).
Taking over on the chestnut in the absence of Karis Teetan, who is sidelined with illness, Currie is excited at the prospect of partnering a proven top-line sprinter for Caspar Fownes' in-form stable.
Currie opened his seasonal account with success aboard Jimmy Ting's Lucky Diamond on Wednesday night (September 28) and hopes Sky Field can press for victory in Saturday's HKD$3.9 million feature.
“I'm very excited,” Currie said. “I got the call from Caspar a week or so ago, so I'm very happy to have the ride on Sky Field.
“Super Wealthy has probably been the best horse I've ridden up here and I'm going to be riding against him on Saturday, but I'm really looking forward to jumping on Sky Field.”
Sky Field was hampered when resuming in the Class 1 HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup Handicap (1200m) when ninth behind Lucky Sweynesse in a performance Fownes says should be dismissed.
“Sky Field is going good. He had a nightmare first-up run, which you've just got to forget about. It was a ‘forget race' for me,” Fownes said. “I've just kept him fresh for this race. It's all about his next couple of starts where he's going to be competitive as well.”
To carry 135lb on Saturday, Sky Field shouldered 133lb in the same race last season under Blake Shinn when a surging second and Fownes expects the six-year-old to acquit himself well at the weekend.
“He carried weight in this race last season when he got beaten three quarters of a length. He'll run a good honest race again up the straight,” said Fownes, who will also team with Currie and unraced Big Me in the Class 4 Chongqing Handicap (1000m).
“Luke has a couple of rides for me on Saturday. He rides Big Me, who is a nice horse. I'm giving him a chance on Big Me first up and I'm giving him a chance of Sky Field to see if they gel well together,” Fownes said.
“It's like anything in Hong Kong, you just want the horses to come through each race well and then you can plan for the next race.”
David Hayes will attempt to win the National Day Cup for the second consecutive season with Super Wealthy (130lb), who will jump from barrier seven under Zac Purton on Saturday.
Douglas Whyte's Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) winner Stronger (135lb) departs from gate four for Vincent Ho, while Richard Gibson's emerging sprinter Cordyceps Six (123lb) will start from the inside alley under Alexis Badel.
The select field of seven is completed by Lucky Patch (132lb), Master Eight (126lb) and Harmony And Rich (118lb).
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