Trainer Jamie Richards hopes Karaka graduate Storming Dragon (Star Turn) can turn his consistency into a hard-earned win when he tackles the Class 3 Hydrangea Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
“He’s running really well,” Richards said. “He just costs himself at the start and he doesn’t travel very well for the first half of the race.
“It looks like he wants to go further, but when you step him up in trip, he lets you down a little bit. He just needs everything to go perfectly for him – he’s getting down in the ratings now.”
A three time winner in Hong Kong Storming Dragon was sold by Kilgravin Lodge at the Ready To Run Sale for $330,000 to Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock and was placed in a trial in New Zealand before being exported to Hong Kong.
Richards, who surpassed 100 Hong Kong career wins in February, saddles five runners on Wednesday with Regrowth Winner (Hellbent), Happy United (NZ) (Sweynesse), Trendy Rush (Star Turn) and Swagger Bro (Capitalist) his other entries.