They got closer than in his first four starts, but not close enough as the Oamaru Force gelding Master Eight stretched his unbeaten sequence to five in the Group III Bauhinia Sprint Trophy Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin on New Year’s Day.
After lowering the boom on Nervous Witness over the same track and distance on November 21, Master Eight was strong to the line under Joao Moreira to defeat the John Size-trained Magnus gelding Sight Success by a half-length with the David Hayes-trained Epaulette gelding Super Wealthy a short-head back in third.
Second placed Sight Success had to concede the winner 4kgs and third placed Super Wealthy 6kgs in the $A$653,000 feature.
Trainer Frankie Lor has some ambitious targets for Master Eight, which may include the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin on January 23.
“I think the horse can still improve,” Lor told the HKJC Leo Schlink.
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“But Joao also has some good sprinters, so I need to talk to him and talk to the owner before we make a decision. More time will be better but his rating will be a hundred and something and we need to race him in Group races - that cannot change, we don’t have a choice.”
Moreira believes that Master Eight is far from the finished article.
“He might not be the best horse, the best sprinting horse in Hong Kong at the moment but he has everything to be that in the future,” Moreira said.
“He’s obviously improving and today was obviously his toughest test and he’s done what we’ve expected him to do - he’s a good horse. We didn’t think he was going to get beaten and he’s proved that we are not wrong about that.”
Master Eight was purchased by Neerim Lodge for $50,000 from the Noor Elaine Farm draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
The chestnut is one of nine named foals from the 14th crop by Noor Elaine Farm stalwart Oamaru Force, who died in 2019.
Master Eight made one appearance at a barrier trial for Richard and Chantelle Jolly at Morphettville in October 2020 when he was named Awamoa. He defeated the subsequent Group II Tobin Bronze Stakes winner Beau Rossa that day and was sold privately to continue his career in Hong Kong.
Master Eight is the best of six winners from seven to race out of the winning Danehill Dancer (IRE) mare Curzon Dancer.
Curzon Dancer is a daughter of the Marscay mare Curzon Place, an unraced half-sister to Blackfriars, Larrocha, Manton, Waterford Road and Lion's Gate from the prolific black-type family descending from Easter Bride (GB).
Curzon Dancer had an Overshare filly make $20,000 at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale. She has been named I'm Over Dancing.
Curzon Dancer foaled an Ilovethiscity filly on August 30 and was covered by the Noor Elaine Farm resident again in 2021.
