Deep Field's Sky Field Triumphs in a Tragic Hong Kong Sprint

Mark Smith - Sunday December 12

Tragedy marred the running of the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200) at Sha Tin, which was won by Blake Shinn on the Deep Field gelding Sky Field.

Sky Field (image HKJC)

Coming around the home turn, Amazing Star (Lyle Hewitson) broke down and brought down Pixie Knight (Yuichi Fukunaga), Lucky Patch (Zac Purton) and Naboo Attack (Karis Teetan).

Shinn missed the carnage and Sky Field came from second last to defeat the Japanese mare Resistencia (Daiwa Major) by three-quarters of a length with the John Size-trained Sacred Falls gelding Courier Wonder a half-length back in third.

It was the sixth win in 18 starts for Sky Field whose previous biggest win came in the Group III Premier Cup Handicap (1400m).

At h

Advertisement
is previous start at the highest level, Sky Field came when third in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m).

“All credit to Caspar Fownes, he’s given me the opportunity to ride this lovely animal over the previous season and this season," Shinn said. 
“We’ve always had faith in him but on the big stage things haven’t always gone this way. Today, he performed to his best today and still beat a handy horse in chasing down a top-line horse in Courier Wonder and the Japanese horse.
“He’s a great horse and hopefully he can keep going forward.”

At his most recent start, the 5yo son of Deep Field finished third in the Group II BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).

Trained by Caspar Fownes, Sky Field was a $175,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase from the Trelawney Stud draft for Mr D Kwan.

Bred by Mike Ryan, Sky Field was born and raised at Segenhoe Stud and is the fifth winner for the O’Reilly mare Laravissante.

 A half-sister by O’Reilly to Hong Kong Group I winner The Duke, Laravissante has an unraced 3yo filly named Jolie Christine. Retained to race by Ryan, Jolie Christine finished fourth in a trial at Cranbourne in September.

Laravissante has a yearling filly by Pariah named Meganisi and was not covered last spring.  

Sky Field is the second Group 1 winner for Newgate Farm’s Deep Field after the MRC Oakleigh Plate dead-heater Portland Sky.

Advertisment

Race Result - The Longines Hong Kong Sprint Gr1 1200m

Sha Tin Track: Good Time: 1:08.66
1
Sky Field
- 5g Deep Field (AUS) x Laravissante (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: C Fownes Rdr: B Shinn 57
2
0.8
Resistencia
- 5m Daiwa Major (JPN) x Malacostumbrada (JPN) (Lizard Island (USA))
Tnr: Takeshi Matsushita Rdr: C Soumillon 55.5
3
1.3
Courier Wonder
- 4g Sacred Falls (NZ) x Fabulist (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: J Moreira 57
4
2.0
Hot King Prawn
- 7g Denman (AUS) x De Chorus (AUS) (Unbridled's Song (USA))
Tnr: J J Size Rdr: Ryan Moore 57
5
4.3
Stronger
- 5h Not A Single Doubt (AUS) x Star Pupil (AUS) (Starcraft (NZ))
Tnr: D Whyte Rdr: C Y Ho 57
6
4.5
Computer Patch
- 5g Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Girl Hussler (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: A S Cruz Rdr: Damian Lane 57
7
7.0
Wellington
- 5g All Too Hard (AUS) x Mihiri (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: Richard Gibson Rdr: A Badel 57
8
70.3
Danon Smash
- 7h Lord Kanaloa (JPN) x Spinning Wildcat (USA) (Hard Spun (USA))
Tnr: Takayuki Yasuda Rdr: Y Kawada 57
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Bred Comeback King Globe wins Cranbourne Cup
The super-talented Globe put a troubled 14 months behind him with a powerful all-the-way win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
Yes Yes Yes Filly wins $100,000 Crystal Slipper
The $100,000 WATC Magic Millions Crystal Slipper (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday drew a competitive field of 13 and Yes Yes Yes filly Yes Queen produced a brilliant performance to score a dominant debut victory.
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
Storyville Downs the Colts in G2 WA Guineas
The WA Champion Fillies Stakes heroine Storyville earned a shot at the Group 1 Northerly Stakes after she gave the colts a start and beating in Saturday’s $500,000 Group II White Claw - WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot.
Barnstorming Win by Headwall in the Warra
The super-consistent Headwall reaped a just reward in the $300,000 Group III Snap Print Solutions Wollongong The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange.
Wings Of Song Makes Stunning Return
A star of the carnivals in Tasmania and South Australia, Wings Of Song made a triumphant return from a 30-week break to capture Saturday’s Rosemont Stud Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Better Than Ready's Port Lockroy Triumphs in G1 Railway Stakes
Interstate visitors have a poor winning record in the $1,500,000 Group 1 Swan Draught - Railway Stakes, but Port Lockroy played his part in squaring the ledger when choosing the perfect spot to end a run of bad luck in stakes races.
Xtravagant Gelding Nadal Brilliant in Meteorite
Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.