Progressive
five year-old Captain Sonador gelding Seasons Bloom captured his first Black
Type win at Sha Tin on Sunday when taking out the Group II BOCHK Wealth
Management Jockey Club Mile and in so doing gave Arrowfield Stud's top class
sire Not a Single Doubt his first stakes-winner as a broodmare sire.
Trained by Danny Shum, he was a leading player in last season's Four-Year-Old
Classic Series and took the step up to open company with aplomb under Joao
Moreira.
He steamed past the two-time G1 winner Helene Paragon for a half-length success
in the 1600 metre feature and is now a leading candidate for the Group I LONGINES
Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on 10 December.
"He's a very nice horse and I really think he's going to be right there with
them on the big day," said Moreira, who won the HK International Mile on Able
Friend in 2014.
"Based on what he's done today, you would think he'd be able to run well in the
Hong Kong Mile next time because he beat some of the best horses in Hong Kong
today, and he had to make it tough, being exposed three wide.
"Danny left the tactics in my hands; he didn't give me specific instruction, I
was happy to help him to get going because he doesn't have much early speed. I
was able to cross a few horses and get to a position three off the fence,
obviously it wasn't ideal but at least he had cover and I got him to relax in a
position just better than midfield.
"Once we straightened up, I held my nerve a little bit and he used pretty much
everything he had in the last furlong, and he gave me plenty. Danny gave him a
break and that paid off today."
Seasons Bloom has won six of 14 starts and was bred in Queensland by Basil
Nolan at Raheen Stud.
He fetched $26,000 for Raheen Stud at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
where he was purchased by Ampulla Lodge and went on to win a race in Victoria at
his second start before he was sold to Hong Kong.
The third stakes-winner for Raheen Stud's ill-fated Captain Sonador, Seasons
Bloom is the best of two winners from Pyramisa's Lass, an unraced half-sister
by Not a Single Doubt to Group II winner Sharks Bay from the family of Group I
winner Mirjulisa Lass.