By Alan Carasso
Sent off the 35-100 favorite in Sunday's 1000-meter Chairmen's Day Plate at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse, Chancheng Prince (Carpe Diem) made light work of four other rivals to score by 3 1/4 convincing lengths (video). The event was restricted to so-called griffins, Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds and Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds that are unraced prior to their arrival in Hong Kong.
With second-leading rider Joao Moreira taking the reins for the first time, the gray colt hopped slightly at the start, then raced prominently on the stands' rail. Sent into the lead for good about 400 meters out, he pinched a winning break and pulled clear to win with something in the locker. It was the fourth lifetime appearance for Chancheng Prince, who was cutting back to the straight five furlongs off a solid runner-up effort going three-quarters of a mile May 24.
The gray colt is the third to make the races from his dam Bliss (Flashy Bull), herself a $190,000 Keeneland September yearling and winner of half of her eight trips to the post for earnings north of $150,000. An Apr. 20 foal, Chancheng Prince is bred by Torie Gladwell's Mystic Bloodstock and was sold to owner Raymond Kuah for $150,000 after breezing a quarter-mile in :21.1 at the 2019 OBS April Sale. He was sold by Top Line Sales, the consignment run by Gladwell and her husband Jimbo. Bliss foaled a filly by Mastery May 15 of this year. The Gladwells sold a Not This Time filly for a sales-topping $1.35 million at OBS Spring this past week.
The final griffin race of the season is programmed for Sunday, July 5 back over 1200 meters.
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