Andrea Atzeni hopeful Beauty Destiny can take red-hot Valley form to Sha Tin
After finally fulfilling his potential with five spectacular wins from his past six starts, Beauty Destiny will race on the Sha Tin turf for the first time since November 2023 in Sunday's Class Two Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Trophy (1,200m).
The Frankie Lor Fu-chuen-trained gelding infamously started his career at the home of the city's biggest races in 2023, going down as a $1.4 favourite on debut and $1.7 favourite second up when racing greenly and swishing his tail in running.
He could only manage 10th when resuming in November that year and finally broke through for his first victory later that season, scoring at the Valley under Zac Purton.
/63112111. 🔥
Beauty Destiny is aiming to take Happy Valley heroics - five wins - to Sha Tin in Sunday's Class 2 Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Trophy! 🏆@Beautystablehk | @Atzenijockey | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/XA1hcZeLN5 — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 10, 2025
However, Beauty Destiny has returned this season a more mature horse, with his ability to settle early in his races and finish strongly in complete contrast to his early days of going too hard and fading.
He started his current streak off a mark of 51 and has soared to 95 thanks to two Class Four victories, a pair of Class Three wins and a Class Two success last start.
In-form jockey Andrea Atzeni, who has been aboard Beauty Destiny throughout his breakout campaign, hopes the five-year-old shows he isn't just a Happy Valley specialist on Sunday.
'Hopefully the way we've been riding him lately, that's what has helped him turn the corner rather than just racing at Happy Valley,' Azteni said.
'It's hard to know how far he's got to go still because every time he goes up a level or in the handicap, he just keeps turning up.
'He's doing it quite well, too. He's not just falling in, he's been winning well. It was only a matter of time before he moved to Sha Tin because there aren't many races for him at the Valley, so it will be interesting to see how he goes.
'I don't think there will be any issues. If he gets luck in running, it's a tight race but on what he's been doing lately, it wouldn't surprise me if he goes again. He's a very good horse and lets hope he can go to another level.'
Beauty Destiny jumps from gate two in a solid Class Two sprint featuring Gorgeous Win and last-start winners Lady's Choice and Kaholo Angel.
After surging to third in the jockeys' premiership with a haul of recent winners, Atzeni hopes to continue his form when he also rides Island Breezes, Cheer For South, Ahren, Drala, Drombeg Banner, Gold Master and Ballistic Win on Sunday.
'I wish I had a better draw with Ahren because I really like the horse,' Atzeni said of the Ricky Yiu Poon-fai-trained gelding, who jumps from gate 12.
'It doesn't make our job any easier, but hopefully there's a bit of pace in the race and we can slot in somewhere and he'll be hitting the line again.
'Drombeg Banner is a solid horse. It's a good race, but he's in with a light weight [115 pounds] and I can't see any other pace in the race, so hopefully we should get a nice lead.
'Gold Master won quite cosily last start. He's up in class with a light weight [120 pounds], but I like him a lot. He keeps improving.'
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