Ambitious Dragon (NZ) enhanced his champion status with a stellar victory in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.  The Tony Millard-trained star brushed aside a top-class field that included his old rival California Memory (Highest Honor).

Winning jockey Douglas Whyte described as the Gold Cup victory as a better run than his last-start triumph over 1600m in the G1 Stewards’ Cup.  “That was the acid test at 2000 metres,” Whyte said.  “He does make my job a lot easier because you can ride this horse with a lot of confidence and you can put him where you want to be.”

Whyte sat motionless until a shake of the reins elicited a burst of acceleration that put daylight between Ambitious Dragon and his nine opponents.

Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year secured a $2 million bonus for winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown.  Only the G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) in May stands between the five-year-old and a $5 million bonus.

Closer at hand is the Dubai World Cup meeting and Ambitious Dragon is among the nominees for both the G1 Dubai World Cup and G1 Dubai Duty Free.

Owner Johnson Lam was delighted to see his gelding land a fifth top-level success but is cautious about Dubai.  He is of the opinion that Dubai can take a lot out of any horse and is therefore a difficult assignment.

Ambitious Dragon (6g Pins – Golden Gamble by Oregon) was bred in New Zealand by Pat Lowry and was passed in for $47,500 at the 2008 Karaka Select Sale.  His dam is a half-sister to Recall (Kaapstad) who won five races up to 2400m including the Listed STC Winter Cup.

A son of Waikato Stud sire Pins, he began the 2010-11 season in a lowly handicap before rising through the ranks to win at Group 1 level in the Hong Kong Derby and the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup.