Angus Chung’s breakthrough victory at Sha Tin last Sunday (18 September) understandably drew significant media attraction, marking the start of what is hopefully a long and successful Hong Kong career for yet another home-grown talent.
Angus, 26, showed with his display on Quadruple Double that he is a quick learner and he has already observed that race riding success in Hong Kong requires an absolute commitment to intelligent and instinctive decision-making.
Returning to Hong Kong from Australia, where he rode 76 winners, Angus will find no better place to further develop than in the heat of battle against Zac Purton, Joao Moreira, Karis Teetan, Alexis Badel, Vincent Ho, Silvestre de Sousa and Matthew Chadwick, among others.
As reigning champion jockey, Zac has already posted seven winners at a strike rate of 25.9 percent and, given his dedication and professionalism, it’s exactly what we have come to expect from an ultimate professional.
Karis has also made a great start to the season and we hope the illness which will sideline him from tonight’s Happy Valley meeting will soon pass and he can rejoin the fray while Joao also closes in on peak fitness.
While Angus is a newcomer to Hong Kong racing, those familiar with Ricky Yiu’s expertise will not be surprised at all to see him atop the trainers’ championship with four winners from only 16 runners so far this season with a win strike rate of 25 percent.
The champion trainer in 2019/20, Ricky has long been revered as an expert handler of sprinters, notably Fairy King Prawn, Sacred Kingdom, Amber Sky and Ultra Fantasy and his sustained success over many years prompted the Club to provisionally extend Ricky’s licence beyond his 65th birthday.
The value of experience in any realm should never be under-estimated and it is part of the reason the Club also provisionally extended the licences of 11-time champion John Size and Tony Cruz, who has been a virtual fixture in the top five on the trainers’ table for the past 25 seasons because of their enduring excellence.
Acknowledging that the 2022/23 campaign is still in its formative stages – and we know John routinely makes conservative starts to the season – Ricky is one of several seasoned handlers to have made a bright start so far. David Hayes (3 winners), Danny Shum (2), Caspar Fownes (2), Tony Cruz (2), Michael Chang (2), Chris So (2) and David Hall (2) have also started positively.
At Happy Valley on Wednesday night, the second race on the card is the Class 2 Causeway Bay Handicap over 1650 metres, featuring increased prize money of HK$2.9 million. All races at one mile or further in classes 1, 2 and 3 receive an additional prize money boost this season in an effort to promote more investment in this type of horse and a better balance to our race programming. This same race, for example, was worth HK$2.4 million last season, resulting in a prize money increase of 20.8 percent.
In addition, our PP (Private Purchase) Bonus awards create a big opportunity for Jumbo Fortune. He is eligible for a HK$2 million bonus and, if successful, the combination of prize money and bonus awards would represent the biggest single pay day for a Class 2 horse in Hong Kong history.
This race will be run at a good to slow pace and Telecom Fighters is the only leader in the race. He has an outside draw, however with a lack of pace underneath him, he should get to the front without too many problems. Fa Fa has the inside draw and he might sit handier than usual with the lack of pace in the race. Berlin Tango has gone forward in the past, so he is another who can sit closer. Prime Minister has the outside draw, so he is likely to go the back of the field.
Jockey Zac Purton will have things his own way on Telecom Fighters and I make him a place chance. He has not won in nearly a year but has always been a consistent sort over the course and distance.
Jumbo Fortune was bought with the Hong Kong Classic Mile in mind, being already a Group 3 winner and Group 2-placed as a two-year-old in Australia. He is the only runner in the compact field tonight with the benefit of a first-up run. He turned in a solid effort over 1400m at Sha Tin in the season opening race meeting and seems primed for the step up in trip. Joao Moreira will have him closer to the pace and I make him a win and place chance due to his race fitness.
Vincent Ho reunites with Fa Fa and this has been a lethal combination at Happy Valley where they have teamed up for six wins and one second in seven starts. Fa Fa is the epitome of a horse for the course and this needs to be considered. From his good draw, he is likely be well placed behind the leader Telecom Fighters and I make him a place chance.
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