Badel chases a Group 3 National Day Cup repeat

Alexis Badel is looking to guide Cordyceps Six to consecutive wins at Group 3 level when he hops aboard the Star Turn speedster at Sha Tin this Saturday.

Victorious in last year’s G3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) aboard Super Wealthy, Badel will instead reignite his partnership with the rapidly improving Cordyceps Six in a bid for back-to-back wins in the HK$3.9 million dash.

Trained by Richard Gibson, Cordyceps Six slammed five wins through last season and successfully rose 47 rating points across nine outings which he crowned with a last-gasp victory over Nervous Witness in the 2022 G3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap (1200m).

Ahead of his return this weekend, the four-year-old caught the eye with a stylish trial at Happy Valley recently (Saturday, 17 September), clocking 1m 12.16s for the 1200m effort on turf behind Kilindini, while Fantastic Treasure – who crossed the line third – has since come out and won.

“That was a very good trial at Happy Valley, he did everything perfectly and with maturity. I feel like he should run a good race, he seems to be ready to go to the races,” Badel said.

Cordyceps Six is a six-time winner from 12 starts in Hong Kong, boasting HK$9.085 million for his owner as he readies to face Sky Field, Stronger, Lucky Patch, Super Wealthy, Master Eight, Harmony And Rich and Family Folks this weekend.

Cordyceps Six boasts four wins down the Sha Tin straight, the most of any horse in Saturday’s eight-runner dash.

“He’s got a pretty good record over the straight 1000 metres. I can’t guarantee his level of fitness first-up but it seems to be ok, he looks happy and healthy,” Badel said. - Hong Kong Jockey Club