Tragedy marred the running of the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200) at Sha Tin, which was won by Blake Shinn on the Deep Field gelding Sky Field.
Coming around the home turn, Amazing Star (Lyle Hewitson) broke down and brought down Pixie Knight (Yuichi Fukunaga), Lucky Patch (Zac Purton) and Naboo Attack (Karis Teetan).
Shinn missed the carnage and Sky Field came from second last to defeat the Japanese mare Resistencia (Daiwa Major) by three-quarters of a length with the John Size-trained Sacred Falls gelding Courier Wonder a half-length back in third.
It was the sixth win in 18 starts for Sky Field whose previous biggest win came in the Group III Premier Cup Handicap (1400m).
At his previous start at the highest level, Sky Field came when third in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).
“All credit to Caspar Fownes, he’s given me the opportunity to ride this lovely animal over the previous season and this season," Shinn said.
“We’ve always had faith in him but on the big stage things haven’t always gone this way. Today, he performed to his best today and still beat a handy horse in chasing down a top-line horse in Courier Wonder and the Japanese horse.
“He’s a great horse and hopefully he can keep going forward.”
At his most recent start, the 5yo son of Deep Field finished third in the Group II BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).
Trained by Caspar Fownes, Sky Field was a $175,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase from the Trelawney Stud draft for Mr D Kwan.
Bred by Mike Ryan, Sky Field was born and raised at Segenhoe Stud and is the fifth winner for the O’Reilly mare Laravissante.
A half-sister by O’Reilly to Hong Kong Group I winner The Duke, Laravissante has an unraced 3yo filly named Jolie Christine. Retained to race by Ryan, Jolie Christine finished fourth in a trial at Cranbourne in September.
Laravissante has a yearling filly by Pariah named Meganisi and was not covered last spring.
Sky Field is the second Group 1 winner for Newgate Farm’s Deep Field after the MRC Oakleigh Plate dead-heater Portland Sky.
