Fiorente’s Group II Autumn Stakes winner and Group 1 Australian Guineas runner-up Beauty Legacy made the best possible start to his career in his adopted homeland with an impressive victory in the Class II Broadwood Handicap (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
After beginning his career for Daren Weir before transferring to Lindsay Park when he was known as Hawkshot, Beauty Legacy is now in the stable of champion trainer John Size.
Taken back from an outside gate by Joao Moreira, Beauty Legacy enjoyed a cosy run but with just three of the 14 runners behind him on the turn he needed luck in finding a run in the straight. That came in spades as Beauty Legacy had an uninterrupted passage along the rails to down the favourite Happy Fun (Darci Brahma) by half a length with Decrypt (Dark Angel) a length and a half further back in third.
Size said that the 4yo son of Fiorente (IRE) would have his next start in the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 27 January.
“He’s got the rating so he’s not looking for figures, we’ve just got to sort out his racing,” Size told the HKJC.
“We’ll go to a mile next start and keep him in the Classic Series – we’ll go in the series and trial him in between, try to contain his energy and hope we have similar luck again.”
“The truth is I’m quite relieved with the performance because I was quite concerned before I even took the horse, I knew he’d have some management issues on race day. So far, so good.
“He was actually able to come through that first test quite well. The horses that start in Hong Kong rated above 90, very few of them win their first start, so you can’t be anything but complimentary towards the performance of the horse.
“Today, everything went perfectly. Whether that happens in the future is another matter, but he did draw a bad gate today; he showed he can give away a start and win, so we learned something. He was a little bit anxious today, first start at Sha Tin, so when he comes back next start for his second run, you’ll know then whether he’s going to be manageable or not – he’s going to be worse or better.
Moreira said it was always the plan to ride him negatively from the barrier.
“John Size told me to ride him as I did; jump out and try to switch him off because he is a bit temperamental,” Moreira said.
“We wanted to make sure he kept all of his energy together and used it at the right part of the race, which is what happened – he got behind, he got relaxed and when I started to squeeze him to go forward and try to go for gaps he showed his class. He didn’t hesitate; he went past, got the split on the inside and won impressively.
“He is one of a kind, he’s got presence, he’s got the temperament, he’s got scope and he’s got ability as well. Horses that get back first time out in such a strong class of race and do what he’s just done, they must have class and I think he’s one of them.
A brother to the Listed stakes-winner Power Scheme, Beauty Legacy is out of the Encosta de Lago mare Rosa Perlato who is a daughter of the stakes-placed Danehill mare Fiammarosa who is a sister to Shinzig and Strada.
Rosa Perlato has an unraced 2yo filly by Ready For Victory named Alberga. After missing to Palentino in 2017, Rosa Perlato had a colt by Sun Stud’s first season stallion Thronum and was covered by Fiorente (IRE) again last spring.
While Sun Stud's Fiorente (IRE) will not be represented at the Magic Millions, the son of Monsun has eight lots catalogued for the Inglis Premier, which includes a classically-bred filly out of the Duke Of Marmalade mare Deshaa who is a half-sister to the dam of Chapada who placed in the Group 1 Victoria Derby and the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas.
Collingrove Stud will offer a Fiorente (IRE) colt who also has a classic pedigree being a son of the imported Daylami mare Takriyma who is a three-quarter sister to multiple Group II winner Takarian and the stakes-winner and wonderful broodmare Tanoura.
