Hong Kong, March 2 – Magic Albert has been enjoying a great run of late and added a new winner to his tally in Hong Kong on Sunday when the Almond Lee trained four year-old Good Strike made a winning debut over 1000 metres to land a massive betting plunge.
Allowed to settle back in the field, he finished full of running for leading rider Gerald Mosse and although racing greenly was able to post a narrow win in a close three-way finish.
A barrier trial winner at Cessnock in June of 2007, Good Strike was sold privately to Hong Kong and was exported in July of 2008, with the outbreak of EI playing havoc with travel arrangements.
“The payment was sent for the horse after the trial and suddenly one week later, equine influenza struck and he was stuck in Australia," Lee told HK Racing Post.
"By the time he got here, Good Strike was the size of an elephant. I couldn’t train him – he was too fat and he developed a foot problem. So it has taken six months to get him trained."
Despite the hurdles, Good Strike had been showing ability on the track and in trials and was heavily backed to win his debut.
"I don’t know about the odds but the owner does like a bet. Maybe it was him," Lee laughed.
"But, honestly, his trial on the dirt was very good. He only had an easy time running third but the two horses that beat him were Class Two horses so it was good form for a Class Four."
Good Strike is one of five winners from the metropolitan winning Naturalism mare Cupro, a daughter of stakes-winner Swiss Cotton.
Magic Albert had just one yearling offered at the 2009 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale on Sunday and the colt was snapped up for $80,000 by Robert Price.
Consigned by Yarraman Park, he is a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Group Two AJC Villiers Stakes winner Something Anything, being by Magic Albert from Snippet’s Dancer.
