Tony Cruz claimed the HK$4.2 million G3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) for the third time in four seasons when The Golden Scenery produced a career-best performance under Brenton Avdulla at Sha Tin on Sunday (22 September) to win the first Group race of the 2024/25 Hong Kong season.
Settling near the tail of the field before the seven runners bunched approaching the home turn, The Golden Scenery (121lb) stayed on the rail deep into the straight before cutting between Taj Dragon (135lb) and last season’s winner Healthy Happy (129lb) to continue Cruz and Avdulla’s partnership.
A two-time winner in Australia as Dominant King, The Golden Scenery had twice been placed at Group 3 level in Hong Kong – running third in the Celebration Cup last year – and revelled in the rain-affected conditions to win by half a length in 1m 22.74s to post his sixth Hong Kong victory.
“The Golden Scenery has always been a very honest horse and he’s always good at the start of the season and wins a race. I planned this race for a while and today the give in the ground helped,” Cruz said.