The “barrier gods” have smiled on Triumphant Light as resurgent trainer David Ferraris heads to Happy Valley looking for another big return at the city track.
Triumphant Light, dropping back in trip and with blinkers on for the first time, looms as a great chance for Ferraris in the Kowloon City Handicap.
The last five seasons have been relatively lean ones for Ferraris, but he has bounced back with nine wins already this term, with six of those at Happy Valley.
That haul has Ferraris behind just Caspar Fownes (16 wins) and Ricky Yiu Poon-fai (10) in third place for most wins at the Valley and he believes Triumphant Light can add to the tally with a breakthrough result.
“I’m very confident with him, but I am confident with all of my runners, I think it should be a good night,” Ferraris said, with the trainer saddling up a strong six-horse team that also includes likely contenders Showing Character, Soccer Brave, Nitro Express and The Sylph.
Ferraris said drawing a low gate was crucial to Triumphant Light’s chances with the rail out in the C + 3 position, after he went to blinkers in an effort to extract a win out of the six-year-old at his 18th local start.
“When you make a gear change like that, you really need the draw to go with it and we got lucky in that way,” Ferraris said. “We put the blinkers on but we got the barrier as well, otherwise it can be a disaster.”
A winner over a mile in New Zealand, Ferraris has mostly campaigned Triumphant Light over 1,400m at Sha Tin, but felt it was time to try something different.
“He has some early speed and has been quite keen up in trip, now he has the draw to sit right behind the leader,” Ferraris said.
Champion jockey Douglas Whyte has worked well with his countryman so far this season, riding four winners for Ferraris, and he will claim one pound over the allotted 118 pounds to reclaim the ride.
Whyte has a strong book of his own with Idyllic Wind and Buddy Bundy both looking good chances early in the night.
