PICKEN & TORNADO TWIST

23rd December 2018

The winners kept rolling in for Price Bloodstock clients at Sha Tin on Sunday with lightly-raced Picken and Tornado Twist giving the champion trainer John Size a winning race-to-race double.

Picken had disappointed his fans and his jockey Joao Moreira as the favourite on international day when he was only eleventh but it was key that Size had taken all the headgear off the four-year-old.

“He needed a lot of riding to even hold his place last time and was not very comfortable surrounded by horses,” Moreira said. “His trial was better since then when he was able to lead and he travelled better today as well when he was able to sit outside the leader and without horses around him. He’s still learning so he can keep improving.”

Tornado Twist is already learning, so it seems, as he had been slowly away in his trials and then in his eye-catching debut race at Happy Valley when he came from last to run third.

The son of Hot King Prawn’s sire Denman certainly looked like a horse who would improve for that experience and for the move to a bigger track at Sha Tin and improve he did.

Tornado Twist knew more about his job this time and jumped well, allowing Moreira to plant the gelding into a trailing spot in midfield from his wide draw but the really impressive part of it was how he accelerated in the straight.

“He might not have the natural speed to sit close to the speed, even from a better draw, so maybe he will appreciate further than 1200m but I like the way he picked them up when he let down and he looks to have a future,” Moreira said.