Tuchel's Win Should Make Him HK Classic Mile Eligible

Having already soared through the grades in a short period of time, Tuchel returned in style at Sha Tin Jan. 15, scoring a stirring win in the Class 2 Yuen Long Handicap (1400m) under Zac Purton.

A prolific winner with four wins from eight starts, Tuchel—trained by John Size—made his Class 2 debut a winning one after enduring a tough, three-wide passage from gate 14 before extending to score by half a length over fellow 4-year-old Galaxy Witness.

"I knew he had that ability but whether he was going to be able to produce that today, that was the question, he did it the tough way so that was a good effort," Purton said.

Eligible for the 2023 Four-Year-Old Classic Series, Tuchel—sired by Redwood —is now expected to boast a rating high enough to contest the Hong Kong Classic Mile (G1, 1600m)—should connections opt to send him there on Jan. 29.

"He won well. It was a difficult day to win off a bad gate and he did it in good style," Size said. "I don't like making decisions after a race but I'll have a think about it overnight and we'll work out what we're going to do. He's a racehorse and there's nothing stopping him going around, so we'll think about it."

Tuchel was expected to last run in October over this distance in Class 3; however, he was found to be lame and subsequently scratched.

"It was a very good effort, he had a setback with the injury, he drew the outside gate and I wasn't able to get in, I had to cop my medicine and just try to keep him nice and balanced and in a rhythm," Purton said.

"He just enjoyed being back to the races, his attitude behind the gates, during the run—he was happy to be back and when he had to dig deep, he waited for me to ask him and he went and he didn't change his leg either, it was a very big effort after such a long time off." 

Purton has three wins aboard Tuchel now but will instead partner Packing Treadmill in the first leg of the three-race HK$48 million (US$6,145,946) series. 

"He (Tuchel) deserves his place for sure," Purton said.

The win was the second of a double in tandem for Purton and Size after Fast Buck surged clear to claim the first section of the Class 4 Nam Sang Wai Handicap (1400m).