HK: Bulb General turns heads after thrashing Class 3 rivals

[Wandering Eyes]

Bulb General was heavily backed and won impressively at Sha Tin on Saturday. Photo: HKRW

Bulb General continued his electric form in Hong Kong racing to bring loftier targets into play for the son of Embellish.

Trained by Jamie Richards, he completed a hat-trick of victories when he put away his Class 3 rivals with ease over 1200 metres at Sha Tin in the hands of Zac Purton.

The four-year-old is taking winning strides toward the lucrative Four-Year-Old Classic Series – the Hong Kong Classic Mile, Hong Kong Classic Cup and Hong Kong Derby.

Bulb General was paying $1.40 to win with betting sites on Saturday and Richards said the relaxed nature of the horse had him confident leading in.

“We’ve got some nice targets for him if he keeps progressing. He doesn’t overtax himself, and I think most of the better ones are a little bit like that, so we’ve got plenty to look forward to,” Richards said.

“The plan would be to step him up (in trip) at some stage. The Classic Series would be the plan; we’ve got a long way to go but he’s progressing well and he’s winning with a bit of authority, so hopefully he can keep cracking on.”

Bulb General also had to overcome a wide barrier to continue his winning run of form.

“He had a pretty poor gate (12), I was hoping to get into a nice spot, and he moved into it and did the job nicely,” Purton said.

“It didn’t feel like he was getting away from them the way that he did, so that was good sign.

“He goes up in grade again and hopefully he can continue the path that he’s on.”

Bulb General was bought out of Cambridge Stud’s Book 1 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $175,000 by Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock and was a juvenile trial winner at Te Rapa before relocating to Hong Kong.

Richards prepared Bulb General’s sire Embellish to win the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in his previous role as head trainer for the powerful Te Akau operation in his native New Zealand.

Standing at Cambridge Stud, Embellish has had four runners in Hong Kong for three winners, including Fortune Whiskey and Chateau le Peche, while Ocean Impact looks a winner in waiting.

Bulb General is the first winner for the Fastnet Rock mare Stylish Achiever who has since produced another son, Bellish Boy, and is back in foal to the son of Savabeel.

Stylish Achiever is out of the Group 3 Irwin Stakes (1100m) winner and Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) third Flying Object.

Bulb General’s rise through the grades has also elevated Richards to fifth on the trainers’ premiership after eight meetings with six winners and five placegetters from 32 starters.

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