Viva Pataca

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Viva Pataca


caption = Viva Pataca at 2007 Hong Kong Cup
sire = Marju
grandsire = Last Tycoon
dam = Comic
damsire = Be My Chief
sex = Gelding
foaled = 2002
country = Great Britain flagicon|UK
colour = Bay
breeder = Dukes of Devonshire & Roxburghe
owner = Stanley Ho Hung-Sun
trainer = Mark Prescott (UK)
John Moore (Hong Kong)
record = 21: 11-1-3
earnings = HK$29,870,500
race = Silver Tankard Stakes (2004)
Hong Kong Derby (2006)
Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup (2006, 2007)
Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2007)
awards= Hong Kong Champion Stayer (2006)
Hong Kong Champion Middle Distance Horse (2007)
honours =
updated= October 25, 2007

Viva Pataca ( _zh. 爆冷) (foaled May 7, 2002 in England) is a Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by the Dukes of Devonshire and Roxburghe, he was out of the mare Comic and sired by English Group One winner, Marju. He was purchased by Neil Greig - Osborne House for 26,000 guineas at the 2003 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and given the name "Comic Strip."

Trained by Sir Mark Prescott at age two, Comic Strip won five of his six starts. After winning his last start in the October 2004 Silver Tankard Stakes, he did not run again until the end of July in 2005 when he finished fourth in a Handicap for three-year-olds at Goodwood Racecourse. Sold to Macau businessma, Stanley Ho, he was renamed Viva Pataca for the Macanese pataca, the currency of Macau.

Viva Pataca made his Asian racing debut at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on January 1, 2006, finishing third in the 1400 metre Chang Jiang Handicap. Two weeks later, under new jockey Christophe Soumillon, he won the 1600 metre New Asia Road Handicap then in mid February won the Chukyo Handicap. In late March, Viva Pataca won his first Group One race when he gave trainer John Moore his second win in the Hong Kong Derby. In April, jockey Gerald Mosse rode him to a sixth place finish behind winner Irridescence in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. At the end of May he came back with a win under jockey Michael Kinane in the Group One Champions & Chater Cup.

Returning to the track in October for the 2006-2007 campaign, under jockey Eric Saint-Martin, Viva Pataca finished fifth in the Sha Tin Trophy then third in the International Cup Trial. With Christophe Soumillon aboard he finished fourth to Pride in December's Hong Kong Cup then in late January ran third in the 2007 Stewards' Cup to winner Armada.

With Michael Kinane back in the saddle, in early March 2007 Viva Pataca was second by a nose to Vengeance of Rain in the 2007 Hong Kong Gold Cup. After Vengeance of Rain won the March 31 Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai, on his return to Hong Kong he was the even-money favorite to win the April 29th running of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. However, Michael Kinane rode Viva Pataca to a strong win by 1¾ lengths. In the much anticipated June 3rd "Rubber match" between the two in the Champions & Chater Cup, Viva Pataca defeated Vengeance of Rain by three lengths while breaking the 2400-metre course record that had stood for thirteen years.

In late August 2007, trainer John Moore had Viva Pataca booked to be flown to Melbourne, Australia to compete in the Cox Plate. However, the trip was canceled after equine influenza was reported in Australia. Moore then considered taking the horse to the United States to compete in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Because no Hong Kong horse had ever competed in a Breeders' Cup, it was widely discussed throughout the Asian media. However, owner Stanley Ho eventually decided against it.

Following a layoff of nearly four months, in his return to racing on October 21, 2007, Viva Pataca finished seventh in the 1600 meter Group 3 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap. On November 11, 2007 have won theHong Kong Cup Trial in ease, successfully outrunning Packing Winner and Art Trader.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/viva+pataca Viva Pataca's pedigree and partial racing stats]
* [http://tattersalls.com/news/news20060330.htm 2006 Tattersalls news article on Viva Patica]