Panfield Registers Another Group Win for Lucky

Lookin At Lucky’s Hong Kong champion Panfield (5h Lookin At Lucky x Esterina II, by Orpen) added another notch to his belt in the country on Sunday with a win in the Group II Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy.

His first start since winning the Group I Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup in May, Panfield was cutting back to a mile for his 2021/2022 seasonal bow.

The Lookin At Lucky son was the middle marker in the field as he raced keenly a few paths off the rail. That two paths turned into five as they raced around the turn and he loomed large behind the leaders. Inside the final furlong, he took over the lead and did just enough to win by a neck in the end.

“This horse is really improving all the time and we went into today’s race with confidence. We wanted to win this race and halfway through we got crowded and he started to travel a bit,” said jockey Karis Teetan. “When I got three-deep, he dropped the bit and relaxed and then into the straight, I wanted to get going a bit because I knew he would take the whole straight to extend.”

Trained by Tony Millard for Yue Yun Hing, the horse was awarded Hong Kong’s Champion Stayer title last year and had been considered for the Group I Melbourne Cup after his Hong Kong Group I win. Millard decided to stay home with him and will now take him back up to routes with the Group II Bochk Jockey Club Cup on November 21 next on his radar.

“He's a little bit more forward than what I would have thought because we were getting him ready for the Melbourne Cup,” Millard explained. “Today, he took out most of the top milers in Hong Kong, barring the best horse - the Horse of the Year (Golden Sixty). It was a great ride. I've had most of the top jockeys jumping on and off him in a way that was a little bit unfortunate early on because I think maybe we could have got a better tune out of him if we'd just stuck to one jockey. Karis has got a good association with him now and long may it last.”

Named Look Pen when he raced in Chile, Panfield was a three-time Group I winner in his home country. The Chilean-bred has seven wins and two other top three finishes in 13 starts, including an additional Group I second.

A true value sire worldwide, Lookin At Lucky has registered graded stakes winners in six different countries, including 15 Grade/Group I winners.