The reputation of Tony Cruz and Brenton Avdulla as a potent combination received another boost when they struck with The Golden Scenery in Sunday’s Group Three Celebration Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin.

The legendary trainer and Australian rider teamed up for plenty of success last term, notably with Cruz’s stable star California Spangle, and that extended to the first Group race of the new season when The Golden Scenery recorded a career-best victory.

After settling last in the small field of seven, The Golden Scenery ran on strongly when gaining an inside run in the final 100m to deny Taj Dragon by half a length.

Taj Dragon looked set to claim the Celebration Cup when Vincent Ho Chak-yiu sent him to the front just before the 200m, but he was swamped late.

Last year’s Celebration Cup victor Healthy Happy was third, beaten two and a quarter lengths, while the $1.9 favourite Chiu Chow Spirit faded to fifth after enduring a tough run three wide without cover.

A model of consistency in Hong Kong with five wins and 11 placings from his 41 starts before Sunday, The Golden Scenery thrived fresh and on a rain-affected Sha Tin surface.

“The Golden Scenery’s always been an honest horse and he’s always very good at the start of the season,” said Cruz, who also won the Celebration Cup with California Spangle (2022) and Buddies (2021).

“I planned this race a long time ago. I think 1,400m to a mile is always his distance, but I think today the ground helped, too.”

Avdulla expected a strong return from The Golden Scenery on the back of his recent trial at Conghua, in which he ran eighth of nine but wasn’t beaten far under a strong hold.

“He trialled well at Conghua and I was confident he would run well,” Avdulla said.

“He handled himself really well, followed Vincent [Ho on Taj Dragon] throughout and he just needed an out at the right time.

“To his credit, Tony had him spot on and ready to go and he got the job done. He travelled really well and it’s nice to get a Group Three winner again, especially for Tony.”

Avdulla has been a regular rider of Cruz’s horses since guiding California Spangle to Group One triumphs in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) and Al Quoz Sprint (1,200m) in Dubai earlier this year.

“I’ll make sure I’ll be making full use of him,” Cruz said of Avdulla.

“He’s been a good jockey and he’s always been very successful for my stable, so I’ll make the best of it.”

While Cruz was delighted with The Golden Scenery’s first feature victory, he downplayed raising the bar for the son of Deep Field in the future.

“I’m not very confident about him going up even further to Group Two or anything like that,” he admitted.

“I was planning to go to 1,800m with him. Most importantly, the horse is healthy and when he’s healthy, he can always go the distance. I believe he can run until he’s eight years old.”

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