SHINING ACE

20 May 2020

Price Bloodstock’s Shining Ace has proved the surprise packet of the Hong Kong season and did it again when he toyed with a quality field at Happy Valley on Wednesday night for his fourth win of the season.

Shining Ace trialled in Australia under the name Todaro for Robert Hickmott before being sold to repeat Price Bloodstock client Gerald Siu, and the four-year-old has been a revelation this season. He had shown promise as a three-year-old to win twice and looked like he would more than pay his way when the new season opened last September but he has outrun all expectations.

His win on Wednesday night was his fourth for the season from 13 starts with another 8 first four placings. His career record now stands at 22 starts, six wins and another 11 first 4 placings, and he has missed a prizemoney cheque only three times. Along the journey this campaign, he has also picked up a $1 million High Achievement Bonus from the Jockey Club as well as the prestigious Happy Valley Million Challenge and Shining Ace’s prizemoney now stand at just over $8.5 million.

“He has been an unassuming sort of horse – he just gets to the races and does what he’s supposed to,” said trainer John Size. “He has the things you like to see in any racehorse – he has good speed, he’s very genuine, he’s versatile tactically and he’s tough as well. This was his 13th start for the season tonight. Some horses carry around big reputations and never quite live up to them, well he’s the opposite of that.”

And Shining Ace looked a contender right from the jump under Joao Moreira, in a strong Class 2 line up, on a track that was being pelted by rain in the half hour prior.

“I was surprised he was able to bounce out so quickly and challenge those fast horses for the lead but he was never going to stop,” said Moreira. “He loves the wet – when he won with me before, it was raining and the ground was soft. All the praise should go to John – he’s improved this horse so much.”