Alexis Badel aims to say au revoir to his winter home on a high this Sunday (17 February) when the progressive Simply Brilliant takes on Hong Kong’s best middle-distance performers in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
The Frenchman is coming towards the end of an eventful third spell in Hong Kong which has produced nine winners including a dramatic first local Pattern race success when the Frankie Lor-trained chestnut landed the G3 January Cup Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley last month.
Triumph almost turned to disaster when Simply Brilliant unseated Badel soon after the winning post, but the popular rider, 28, took less than three weeks to shake off a wrist fracture and rode his first winner since the tumble when Lean Perfection scored at Sha Tin last weekend.
“I realise the accident could have been much worse and the main thing is that I’m back in good form and feeling very lucky,” he said. “I’ve had help from some very good owners and trainers and their support has helped make this stay a real pleasure.”
That injury setback means Badel is a little off the pace that carried him to 14 victories last season but he points to the fact that things could have been much different granted slightly better fortune.
“It’s a question of detail, always,” he said. “I have had a lot of second places which could have been winners with a better draw or a little more luck but I have enjoyed my time here very much again.
“To win my first Group race here on Simply Brilliant and then have the fall a second later made it a race full of emotions and now he moves up to Group 1 level for the first time.”