Late-season programme turfs Frankie Lor’s hat-trick heroes off the dirt and onto the grass

The absence of all-weather races from the final eight meetings on this season’s programme explains why last term’s champion trainer, Frankie Lor Fu-chuen, has entered two of Hong Kong’s best dirt performers in high-class turf events at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Hat-trick heroes Hava Nageela, in the Class One Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy (1,600m), and Youthful Deal, in the Class Two Joy And Fun Handicap (1,200m), will switch from Sha Tin’s inner all-weather circuit to its outer grass course when they attempt to score their respective fourth consecutive victories.

Hava Nageela, one of three Lor-prepared gallopers in the 12-runner Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy field, took time to acclimatise to Hong Kong following his August transfer from Ken Condon’s yard at The Curragh to the Jockey Club’s facilities.

Although Hava Nageela has performed capably in his three turf races on Hong Kong soil, his three wins have occurred on the dirt, to which he returned in late March after he had kicked off in the city with two all-weather assignments just before Christmas.

Lor, whose mentor and former boss John Size succeeded him as this season’s title-winning handler during Wednesday’s meeting at Happy Valley – the Australian trainer’s record-breaking 12th championship, said Hava Nageela is not dependent on ground conditions.

“I think Hava Nageela can win on the grass in Hong Kong because, in Ireland, he won on it three times,” Lor explained. “I don’t think the surface is as much an issue for him as for Youthful Deal.”

Like Hava Nageela, Youthful Deal’s latest dirt victory was a Class Two triumph for which punters sent him off favourite. Unlike Hava Nageela, Youthful Deal does not fill Lor with confidence for the Deep Field gelding’s forced return to the turf.

“Youthful Deal has performed like a high-quality horse on the dirt this season. He hasn’t won on the grass, but he needs to try because there are no more races on the all-weather track until next season,” Lor said.

Lor will have a couple of representatives in the Joy And Fun Handicap, with last weekend’s Class One Swaine Cup (1,200m) winner Adios on the seven-day backup from the unfavourable outside gate of 13.

The Swaine Cup was not in Lor’s plans for Adios until the Class One contest, worth nearly HK$2 million to the connections of the victorious sprinter, attracted so few entries the Jockey Club invited latecomers to the party, which Alexis Badel’s mount gatecrashed.

“I’d always planned to race Adios on the last day, but when I saw the low number of entries for last week’s race, I thought I’d see if he could win it and then see if I was going to enter him again,” Lor said.

Lor has 10 runners across seven of Sunday’s 11 races, but one highly rated galloper who will not run again is A Pal, whom connections retired on Tuesday.

“A Pal has a tendon problem,” Lor said. “After his last start, during which he didn’t handle the wet track, his right front tendon was sore. The vets scanned him and found a hole. He would have needed six to eight months off – a long time – and then he may have reinjured himself if he’d returned to racing.”