Brett Crawford outlined ambitions to contest next season`s Four-Year-Old Classic Series with Mr Incredible (126lb) after the exciting galloper handled older and more experienced rivals with aplomb with an eye-catching victory at Sha Tin on Saturday (27 June).



Rising in grade, the Toronado gelding accelerated powerfully in the straight before being eased down by Karis Teetan to easily land the Class 3 Shek Sheung River Handicap (1200m) to bolster his record to three wins from four starts.



Forging across the final 400m in 22.28s, Mr Incredible could have easily won by more than the official margin of one-and-three-quarter lengths if Teetan had chosen to push the bay through the line.



Crawford is confident Mr Incredible has the scope to contend in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which includes the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m).



“I think he`s proven tonight that he`s going to be capable (in the Four-Year-Old Classic Series),” Crawford said. “There`s not many three-year-olds that win in Class 3 like that, so he`s an exciting horse for next season and hopefully he`ll go further, which he definitely looks like he can.



“I think today was a big test for him to go up to Class 3, so I was very pleased the way he handled himself. I thought he ran a really good race and when asked to stretch, he really dug down deep and went away from them, so we can`t ask for more.



“He`ll have a nice break now, put him away and have a nice holiday and obviously get him ready for the new season.”



Teetan, who posted a three-timer, was equally impressed with Mr Incredible.



“He`s a lovely horse, we always thought he was a nice horse and every time he`s gone to the races, he`s shown it, and today was a big task,” the Mauritian said. “He had a long break and to see him winning like this today was nice. We look forward to next season now.”



Teetan and Crawford combined for a race-to-race double with Sovereign Fund (132lb) in the Class 3 Tan Shan River Handicap (1400m), while Teetan also prevailed with David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Resilience (124lb) in the first section of the Class 4 Lam Tsuen River Handicap (1200m).



Colourful King (125lb) confirmed undeniable talent and eased the memories of a string of minor placings this season with a dominant win in the Class 1 Pearce Memorial Challenge Cup Handicap (1000m) for David Eustace and Andrea Atzeni.



The Blue Point gelding had tallied one win, four seconds and a third from nine starts this term before today`s triumph. Settling midfield, the four-year-old powered over the final 400m in 21.86s to down Magic Control (116lb) and Bottomuptogether (121lb).



“We`ve had just a frustrating run of near misses and disappointments, I suppose at the Valley, but he`s just clearly a better horse here down the straight. This race obviously was perfect and he had slightly less weight - he wasn`t having to shoulder top weight which counts for a lot as well,” Eustace said. Colourful King`s win was the second leg of a double for Andrea Atzeni, who reached his goal of 60 victories for the season with a double, having also scored on Master Lucky (129lb) in the Class 4 Sha Tau Kok River Handicap (1400m) for John Size.



“Reaching 60 wins was a target; I thought it was a nice number and we got there today and we`ve got a few meetings left, so I can`t complain,” Atzeni said. “It was a brilliant to get back on him (Colourful King), I rode him in his earlier days and I sort of missed him early on in the season. He did it quite well tonight.”



Caspar Fownes maintained his charge towards a fifth trainers` championship with Verbier`s (124lb) victory under Joao Moreira in the first section of the Class 5 Kam Tin River Handicap (1200m).



With only five meetings left in the season, Fownes – who won the championship in 2006/07, 2008/09, 2013/14 and 2020/21 – has 65 wins for the season and leads Danny Shum (60), Mark Newnham (59), Francis Lui (54) and Hayes (53).



“I still feel like I`ve got a lot of winners in the camp, which I`ve kept for the last few meetings because I knew it was a very strong battle this year and I wanted to make sure I was very well prepared,” Fownes said.



“It`s been a great battle all season and I`m proud of the way the stable has responded - my team has worked very hard and I really hope I can get this championship because I`ve gone on record as saying this one means a lot to me and I hope I can get it.”



Moreira has played an integral role in Fownes` success since returning to Hong Kong as Fownes` retained jockey. A four-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey, Moreira has compiled 25 wins in his latest stint, including 22 for Fownes.



Shum struck with Anode (132lb) under Hugh Bowman in the second section of the Class 4 Lam Tsuen River Handicap (1200m). Placed four times at Group race level in Australia for Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse, Anode`s win provided Shum with a perfect 66th birthday gift.



Newnham also remains in contention after Talents Ambition (135lb) slotted his fourth course and distance triumph by clinching the Class 3 Beas River Handicap (1650m, dirt) for Zac Purton.



Cody Mo continued an excellent week when Hong Kong International Sale (HKIS) graduate Super Goldendragon (126lb) clinched the Class 4 Nam Chung River Handicap (2000m) for Derek Leung. Mo fired in a treble at Happy Valley on Wednesday (24 June) and has 46 victories for the term.



Fellow HKIS graduate Circuit Victory (116lb) finished powerfully under Britney Wong for Manfred Man to land the second section of the Class 5 Kam Tin River Handicap (1200m) before Me Tsui`s Night Purosangue (123lb) posted his third course and distance win of the season with success in the Class 4 Ng Tung River Handicap (1650m, dirt).



Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Wednesday, 1 July with the Hong Kong Reunification Raceday. The first race is scheduled for 4pm.