Considered a long shot, despite having finished second to Furore in the Classic
Mile at his previous start, the Frankie Lor trained gelding led all the way to win
by a length over Dark Dream with Furore in fourth place."A little bit surprised," was how trainer Frankie Lor summed up the shock win.
Hong Kong's latest training sensation saddled three of the first four home in this second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, just as he had in the opening salvo, last month's Hong Kong Classic Mile.
But, despite Mission Tycoon's grand effort to take second in that contest four weeks ago, he was ignored in the market with stablemate Dark Dream, deemed an unlucky fourth in the Classic Mile, sent off as the favourite ahead of Furore, also trained by Lor.
"We didn't care about the odds. He ran well last time, he ran second," said winning rider Derek Leung.
"Today I was able to go forward without any pressure. Mission Tycoon switched off and that's why he was able to finish at the end."
Frankie Lor will now look to the Hong Kong Derby, the third and final leg of the Four Year Old Classic Series.
"All the horses ran well today," he said. "Maybe the pace wasn't fast enough for Dark Dream and Furore but next time the 2000 metres will be more suitable for them."
Dark Dream's rider Zac Purton concurred.
"He ran well," Purton said. "I was just hoping he'd be up for the fight in the straight but he was a bit one-paced. He gave the feeling today that he's a mile and a half horse."
Furore, so impressive when storming clear of the Classic Mile field, ran on
from deep in the pack after drawing wide in gate 12."I'm very pleased with him," jockey Hugh Bowman said. "He was just too far back from a wide draw but he'll be right for the Derby."
Mission Tycoon was a $50,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Phoenix Broodmare Farm draft for Inglis as agent and started his career in Australia with Mark Newnham winning his only two starts at Newcastle and Kembla in the spring of 2017.
Since transferring to Hong Kong he has gradually come to top form and has the overall record of four wins and four placings from 11 starts.
Mission Tycoon is the best of three winners from Lakemba Gold, who comes from the family of triple Group I winner Drawn. Lakemba Gold died in 2017 and her last foal is a yearling filly by Fighting Sun
Mission Tycoon is the 27th stakes-winner for Woodside Park's flagship sire Written Tycoon, who covered 160 mares last spring at a fee of $110,000.
