RELENTLESS ME

25th June 2017

The Hong Kong season is slowing down with the final meetings in sight but Price Bloodstock isn’t and three-year-old Relentless Me closed his impressive first campaign on a good note at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Stepping up from 1,200m to 1,400m, Relentless Me had more early speed this time and champion jockey Joao Moreira used that to take the barrier draw out of the equation in the early stages, crossing to lead and control the pace on the rail.

The gelding has now won two of his three appearances and was unlucky from an outside draw in the other start so trainer Chris So believes he could have been unbeaten and is looking very promising for his next season.

“I thought his last run was very good coming from the outside draw and when he drew out wide again today, I was concerned, but Joao and I came up with two plans and I told him ‘you’re the boss, use the plan you think is right’ ,” So said. “The preferred tactic was that Relentless Me jumped out well and was able to lead and that was how it turned out. He had to do some work early but Joao was able to give him a rest through the middle of the race and still had a kick in the straight. He only won by half a length at the finish but he had to get tired after the work he had done and he kept fighting strongly. I think he could have won more easily if he drew a good barrier.”

That was Relentless Me’s first attempt at 1,400m but So is looking to even longer assignments to show the best of the horse next time around.

“He has done a good job and he won’t have another race this season. Give him a summer break and he will come back stronger and more mature and he will be even better,” So explained. “And I’m sure, the way he ran out 1,400m today after doing the work, that he’ll run a strong 1,600m as a four-year-old. He has a good future.”