Dan Excel caused a minor upset in terms of upstaging the more favoured local contenders in the Champions Mile over 1600 m at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday. 

The South African star jockey Weichong Marwing was aboard the son of Sharmardal for trainer John Moore and owner David Boehm. 

The bulk of the HKD 12 million stake stays at home in Hong Kong as the locals took out the first four positions in the international Group 1 event. 

Second place went to Helene Spirit from Prebble ridden Packing Whiz. The highest rated horse under Douglas Whyte, Glorious Day finished 4th.

The only two internationals in the event, Penitent and King Mufhasa disappointed finishing well back. The latter was pulled up in the run. 

The win marks the second Sunday in succession that Moore has carried off a major international prize following Military Attack’s triumph in last week’s G1 APQEII Cup; and the trainer was delighted as Dan Excel gave him his fourth G1 Champions Mile without reply and fifth overall.

“Again, two cup races today and four Champions Miles in a row – I’m over the moon,” said the handler, who barely had time to savour Dominant’s earlier win in the day’s other Pattern race, the HKG3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup.

Dan Excel has knocked on the door several times in major events this term. Second to Glorious Days in the HKG1 Stewards’ Cup in January, he filled the same berth in his lead-up race last month behind Packing Whiz in the HKG2 Chairman’s Trophy. Those two rivals headed the Champions Mile betting but were left scrapping over the minor places at the finish as Moore’s charge broke well from the inside gate. Weichong Marwing’s mount enjoyed a dream run tracking the pace-setting Helene Spirit, ridden by Matthew Chadwick.

“I thought maybe Helene Spirit might lead but I thought King Mufhasa would go on and we’d probably end up in the box seat,” said Moore, “but the whole complexion of the race changed once Caspar Fownes’ horse (Helene Spirit) took the running; in fact he went further into the straight than I expected, actually he went right to the winning line and made a race of it.”

And what a race he crafted. Chadwick was motionless on the front end turning for home, finally shaking the reins after the 400m mark at which point Marwing switched Dan Excel off the fence to mount a challenge. The eventual winner headed his determined opponent half-way down the stretch, and after a hammer and tongs scrap to the wire, took the honours by a short-head in 1m 33.42s.

“Drawing gate one won the race for us. He kicked really well and we know he’s a fighter – he doesn’t give up. He’s delivered on the day,” said Moore, who is now hoping his charge can join stablemate Military Attack in the G1 SIA Cup in Singapore in two weeks time. 

“I understand he’s on the reserve list (for Singapore) and I think that they’re going to give us a lot of consideration now after seeing that courageous effort. The owner’s very keen and I’m keen so we’ll make the trip if invited.” 

Owner David Boehm was thrilled with Dan Excel, a two-time G3 winner in Ireland whose only previous Hong Kong win came in a Class 1 handicap on the final day of last season. 

“It’s always any horse owner’s dream to win a Group 1 race, particularly in such a gutsy style. It’s only the second time that I’ve won a Group 1; John and I have raced horses together for 25 years so it means the world. It’s a winner for all of Hong Kong and I’m so happy that the punters here had a good bet on him,” said Boehm, whose exciting three-year-old Secret Sham took the day’s finale. 

Marwing said: “He’s been consistent, always running thereabouts, never disgracing himself and it’s nice that the sun has shone on his head for a change. He’s been rewarded for that consistency and it was his race today – I’m very, very happy for the horse.” 

Packing Whiz was unable to utilise his trademark late sprint to full effect as although closing fastest from deep with a final 400m of 23.01s, the Chairman’s Trophy winner could only claim third a further length and a quarter back. Glorious Days took fourth a further neck away. 

Kiwi raider King Mufhasa raced prominently until folding on the turn and was found afterwards to have blood in the trachea and was also lame in his left fore. The Moore-trained Xtension, chasing a record third straight Champions Mile win, finished sixth. 

Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was pleased with the quality of the day’s sport. 

“If you look at the ratings going into the Champions Mile, the average was 116, so it was a high quality race,” said Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges. “We now have two very strong race meetings in a row with the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and the Champions Mile and the quality of horseracing in Hong Kong is going from strength to strength. I hope that will continue next year when we will have the Asian Racing Conference here for the Champions Mile.”

JOCKEY COMMENTS

1st - Dan Excel – jockey – Weichong Marwing “It was a great win. He dug deep. It was his moment today and I am happy I could share it with him. For others the pace might have been too slow but for me it was perfect.”

2nd - Helene Spirit – jockey – Matthew Chadwick “He ran his usual honest race and just found one better on the day. He was happy rolling in front and gave his all.”

3rd – Packing Whiz – jockey – Brett Prebble “Had a lovely run but he just didn’t show that zip that he’s got. He can be a funny horse. There’s two of him but he was courageous late.”

4th - Glorious Days – jockey – Douglas Whyte “He was a little disappointing. We followed the winner but he didn’t let down like we know he can.”

5th - Gold-Fun – jockey – Olivier Doleuze “He was never in the race. He just wasn’t feeling comfortable out there today.”

6th - Xtension – jockey – James McDonald “He had a nice run in the race so no excuses there. He just had no real kick off the bend.”

7th - Penitent – jockey – Daniel Tudhope “He ran OK. I don’t think the ground was an issue. He wasn’t that far off them. He ran a good race.”

8th - Pure Champion – jockey – Gerald Mosse “Maybe the ground was a bit firm but we didn’t get the sort of run I’d like to have had. He was hanging out in the straight and just wasn’t comfortable.”

9th - King Mufhasa – jockey – Michael Rodd “We got to the half mile (800m) and he was trying to clear his wind. His breathing obviously wasn’t right and he was struggling soon after. There’s a problem, it’s a shame.”