Beauty Generation strode out down the back-side at Sha Tin on Thursday morning in a workout that pleased trainer John Moore ahead of Sunday’s Gr.2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m).
“He’s done everything he had to do this morning,” Moore said as he watched the powerful bay exit towards his stable after breezing an easy 800m clocked at 59 seconds.
“Everything’s gone to plan,” he added. “There have been no glitches.”
The champion has not had a race-day glitch in seven starts; not since he ran a close-up fifth in last year’s edition of this weekend’s feature. That reversal came at a time when the Road To Rock gelding was still establishing a foothold at the top level, with Moore using the race as a warm-up to a subsequent Gr.1 Champions Mile triumph.
A second FWD Champions Mile (28 April) is on the agenda but first Moore wants to see his star maintain his winning sequence with a first Chairman’s Trophy score. In preparation, and off a seven-week break since his last run, the six-time Group One winner sported white cheek-pieces this morning.
“He had cheek-pieces on for his last gallop, on the Saturday, and this morning I put them on again,” Moore said. “I did that instead of the blinkers because I didn't want to switch him on and have him do too much: the blinkers weren’t necessary today because he just knows exactly what he’s got to do and he runs at a good rhythm. I’d rather the blinkers just go on for the race.”
The desire to keep a lid on Beauty Generation was also behind the decision to have work rider Romain Clavreul in the saddle for this workout, rather than race day jockey Zac Purton.
Beauty Generation caught out Clavreul during track work earlier this week with a mischievous change of direction, dumping the Frenchman to the ground. There were no antics today though as the rider reported a horse itching to get on and race.
“He came into the straight and Romain said he just wanted to go and he had to say ‘no’ to him. He just trotted him down the home straight and back around,” Moore said.
Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year is set to face eight opponents in the Chairman’s Trophy and he must concede a 5lb G1 penalty to all bar Pakistan Star. But, with an international rating 7lb and more clear of the field, Beauty Generation still appears to have the edge.
