Ming Zhi Cosmos at the finishing line
Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated across China this weekend and members of the China Horse Club have had further reason to cheer after Ming Zhi Cosmos posted her second stakes success overnight. The triumph of Ming Zhi Cosmos in Italy rounded out an exceptionally successful weekend for the club with four runners sent out to race to date netting three wins and one second, beaten in a photo.
The Nicolas Clement trained Ming Zhi Cosmos has been a model of consistency throughout her career and the overnight win was her fifth in a 10 start career. The Listed Pietro Bessero (1600m) was her second win in as many starts in Milan and showed her versatility. Her eight other starts have all come in France.
Jockey Umberto Rispoli allowed the gritty bay to settle just behind the race leader, a post Ming Zhi Cosmos usually fills, and had her cuddled away on the fence until well into the straight. Inside the 200m mark the three-year-old was third until Rispoli eased her across the heels of her rivals and out onto the centre of the track. Ming Zhi Cosmos then skipped up a gear to overhaul the two race leaders but needed to call on further reserves to hold off the storming finish of Waikika who had built up a momentum as the widest runner in the race. The two pulled three lengths clear of rivals on the line with Ming Zhi Cosmos holding her rival by a neck.
Ming Zhi Cosmos joined weekend winners Jiayuguan (France) and Eastern Cape (Australia) with White Hunter (Australia) touched out in a photo finish. Seven days earlier A La Victory saluted on debut in Singapore. The rich vein of form has been widely enjoyed and is a clear indication that the international stables of CHC are clearly in the groove right now. This may be added to shortly with Archangel Raphael set to run overnight and a series of performers primed to compete this coming week.
None is bigger than the talismanic Australia who is set to race this weekend in Ireland in the G1 Qipco Irish Champion Stakes (2000m). Currently rated the third best horse in the world, Australia will be bidding to post his fourth successive G1 win and continue a racetrack legacy that grows more imposing with every performance. Outside of Australia, Al Valore is expected to make his debut in Singapore and Cyberjaya is earmarked for his next start in Australia.