2 weeks Ago By Jay Rooney
After executing a mid-race move to perfection on M Unicorn last start, Hugh Bowman hopes the Happy Valley specialist’s tendency to start slowly won’t get in the way of him scoring back-to-back wins at the city circuit on Wednesday night. The Australian ace got the best out of M Unicorn when he took off from near the tail of the field to take up the lead at the 800m, with the Caspar Fownes-trained gelding sustaining his run to score by two lengths on March 19. A five-time winner last season, the son of Savabeel racked up his fifth success over the Valley’s extended mile to reach a peak career rating of 80.
He rises six pounds to carry top weight of 135 in Wednesday night’s Class Three Tokyo Handicap (1,650m), but Bowman’s chief concern is the six-year-old’s issues jumping cleanly out of the barriers. Hong Kong Hughie reaches 50 wins this season! 👌 M Unicorn brings up the milestone victory as well as a double for @HugeBowman at Happy Valley..
. #HappyWednesday | #HKracing pic.twitter.
com/27Pl18lBUE “He’s in good enough form, he’s just a bit quirky at the start of the race,” Bowman said. “If I could get him out and get him involved early, he should just win. He’s just a bit difficult that first 50m.
Sometimes he doesn’t jump well, other times he does jump well but won’t jump into gear. He just gets beaten for speed. “Then if you rev him up, he won’t relax.
You’ve just got to go with the flow a little bit. “We won’t know until the gates open. It was a solid win last start, he was strong through the line and even before that, he was racing well.
He’s a big horse so the weight isn’t a concern.” In addition to his habit of starting slowly, M Unicorn was withdrawn from a Valley race in February when he lunged forward in the barriers pre-race, resulting in his gate opening and him galloping for a short distance before he was captured. M Unicorn jumps from gate five in a competitive race.
Consistent galloper Aestheticism will have admirers when he reunites with champion jockey Zac Purton, who rides at the Valley for the first time since February 5 after returning from a toe injury. Second behind Purton in the premiership with 51 wins this term, Bowman also rides Capital Legend, Ragnarr, Nebraskan, Thunder Prince, last-start winner Dragon Four Seas and Nordic Dragon at the midweek meeting. “I think Nordic Dragon’s going well.
If I drew a bit softer than seven, I’d be really keen on him. He’s just going to need the race run to suit him,” Bowman said..
